


Damien Season 2

by SalvatoreMel1



Category: Damien (TV)
Genre: Drama, Gen, Some Humor
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-24
Updated: 2017-09-09
Packaged: 2018-07-17 23:33:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 27,271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7290574
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SalvatoreMel1/pseuds/SalvatoreMel1
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Following on from season 1 of Damien we see our reluctant ‘destroyer’ running from his destiny with Simone at his side keeping him tethered to reality and helping him believe he is good and can remain Damien Thorn resisting the call of the Antichrist. Allies are sought and enemies revealed. Opposing forces will come together both trying to influence the course of Damien’s life to their own ends. Trust is in short supply and nowhere is safe…maybe it will take a miracle to save the son of Satan. Amani acts as his champion and vets those that would join his campaign…his judgement is absolute on such matters as he has proved himself instrumental in the success of Damien’s fight.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Choices

Damien stood in the cemetery, blood trickling through his hair, down his face and on to his body. He had just given himself over to his father, offering his soul and his submission to save Simone. He had witnessed her resurrection but was still stunned by the events that had unfolded before him. His body was slashed and gouged, his scalp had been partially cut away from his skull and yet despite all of this he was still functioning. He wondered how long it would be before his body yielded to its wounds…how long could he keep fighting?  
Crowds of people descended on their position and he could feel the end creeping ever closer. When they bowed before him he was more confused than ever. What was going on? Was this even real? Could it be another dream? If so he begged God to wake him…please let it be a dream.  
How could he tell he wondered…when his dreaming state feels exactly like his waking state. He thought to himself that he really had gone crazy and antichrist or not he was trapped in hell.  
He held Simone close, supporting the majority of her body weight to stop her from falling. She was understandably disoriented and appeared traumatised, vacant even, as though her body had revived but her mind had not caught up yet. 

“Simone? Are you there?” he spoke softly trying to hide his fear as much as was possible from those that had hunted him down and those that were now influenced by the events of the night. “Simone…”  
She murmured and slurred some incoherent words but was clearly trying to respond. “It’s Ok… you’re gonna be Ok, I promise.” But Damien had no idea what to do next. He looked around him and could see only masses of people and those from Armitage…he scanned the place looking for a miracle of all things…and then he saw detective Shay…on his knees but not in adoration…he was despondent and about to give up his own fight…this was an opportunity. He grabbed hold of Simone and rushed towards the detective. Once he saw some sign of recognition in the detectives face he shouted “Help us! Help us!!” it took a few seconds for Shay to appreciate what was actually unfolding and he had no idea what to make of it but it was far easier for his brain to accept two people, bloody and battered running from an enemy and in need of protection than what he had actually just witnessed and so he chose to believe the former and got to his feet, gun raised and ready.  
As they passed him he said “my car’s just over there, I’ll cover you…GO!”  
Damien didn’t hesitate and scrambled to the car, throwing Simone inside and taking off. As he made their escape he could hear distant gun shots…four he thinks and then silence. He glanced over at Simone, she was still out of it but he wished she wasn’t because she had become a tether of sorts for him, a voice of reason and truth in a chaotic vortex of deceit. He needed her to keep him on the right side of sanity for without her trust and faith he feared everything that might come to pass.  
He drove as far and as fast as he could in the shortest time possible. He knew the detective’s car would have a tracker and they would be found so he needed to ditch the car.  
He drove further away from the city towards the countryside where there would be minimal people and lots of places to hide, however with nothing but the clothes on their backs their chances of making it were virtually nil.  
“What happened to me? Why do I feel…? … different”  
“Simone? Oh thank God”  
“You’re thanking God now? I thought you didn’t believe?”  
“I thought so too”  
Damien pulled the car over and searched it for anything useful. He took the first aid box from under the seat and the emergency pack from the trunk. “This guy (Shay) really was a ‘be prepared for anything’ kind a guy” he mumbled to himself. Detective Shay had always kept a bag in the car in case of bad weather or any other type of emergency situation that might mean his family would need survival equipment with no time to prepare. Damien thought finding this was almost Shay’s way of saying he was sorry for the persecution he had brought and for killing Simone but of course he knew it was not but was extremely thankful to have it nonetheless. He grabbed the bag and a backpack, put the first aid kit inside and together he and Simone made their way towards Adirondack forest Preserve.  
Shortly after they had set off on foot Simone asked about Amani. “He’s dead” replied Damien “John killed him”  
“So says Ann, she’s been manipulating you, manoeuvring you and … just playing you from the time you met her, how can you trust anything she says?”  
“I could see in it John’s face…he ran…he did it”  
“I think we should find out for ourselves…what if he’s in trouble? What if he’s not dead and he needs us? He’s your best friend Damien.”  
Damien stopped walking and looked at Simone…an intense stare that showed how much he wanted Amani to be alive. “Where would we even start Simone? Look at us, we have nothing, I don’t know where we’re going or who we can get to help us but I do know we need to put more distance between us and them…so let’s keep moving.” Damien went to move off again but Simone took his arm and stopped him. “We don’t have nothing, we have each other and I’ll watch out for you if you watch out for me…Ok?” Damien silently nodded and they continued on their journey.  
…  
Back at the site of the nuns’ executions where Amani and sister Fraueva were thrown into the open grave wounded, dying and eventually buried alive, a disturbed site was now displayed. Dirt was tossed this way and that, a depression was visible in the centre of the grave and everything indicated that a disruption of some sort had occurred post burial.  
When the monsignors arrived in New York they headed straight for the last place they knew sister Fraueva to be. When they could find no trace of her inside they headed in to the grounds where they discovered the grave. In order to learn what had happened and to expose the fate of their brethren they each took up shovels and emptied the grave of sod. The earth was loose and easy to dig through; it didn’t take long before they had revealed their first body and before long they had found the four missing nuns. They carefully laid out their bodies on the ground and called for other members of the church to come and remove the remains. Sister Fraueva was unaccounted for and so they mounted a search of the immediate vicinity.   
…  
After walking for several hours Damien decided the small clearing they encountered would be a good place to stop for a while. They had been extra careful about leaving a trail and felt relatively safe here, at least to stop long enough for a rest and something to drink.  
“There’s a couple of freeze dried meal packs in here and some water” Damien said as he emptied out the pack. “Are there any matches…for a fire?” “There’s some kind of flint thing if you know how to use it and some glow sticks…ah here, weatherproof matches.”  
“How are your feet? And your other wounds? How is your head?”  
“I hurt all over…I daren’t take my shoes off and my head is splitting”  
“Why didn’t you say something…let me check the first aid kit”  
“I think pain is good right now…it reminds me I’m human. I am human aren’t I Simone?”  
Simone approached Damien with the first aid box, she laid down a blanket from the emergency bag and took Damien’s hand to pull him forwards and down to join her there. “Of course you’re human…and I will keep reminding you of it so you don’t need the pain.” As she gently removed Damien’s shoes to expose his wounds she softly said “I need to ask you about what happened to me” Damien seemed reluctant to talk about it for fear that she would become afraid of him, plus he wasn’t really sure what had happened. Could he believe his eyes or was he deceived because to believe what he believed was to accept that he brought Simone back from the dead by negotiating with the devil and sacrificing his soul. To a sane man that would be totally absurd but it did happen and as of yet Damien did not know the true repercussions of the choice he made.  
“Simone…I…I’m not sure what happ” Damien was cut off by Simone mid word “I think I died”, she looked at him with terror in her eyes and repeated “I think I died Damien…and then I was here again.”  
“What do you remember?”  
“I saw Shay, he was pointing a gun at us and he called your name…then nothing…then I was somewhere else I think, it felt strange like I was floating but I wasn’t floating, it was so quiet there and peaceful and although it was so strange to me and unfamiliar it felt safe and I was at ease. Suddenly, I could hear someone shouting, screaming at their father…I remember the feeling of sadness and then I was suddenly waking up on the ground …and that felt really strange…that didn’t feel safe or natural at first but… then I quickly found familiarity with my surroundings again and it was ok.”  
As she cleaned the deepest wounds of his feet again he grimaced with pain…”save the water” he said “there isn’t enough to last more than a couple of days in the pack as it is”  
“I’m not using much but these cuts must be cleaned. When I’m done with these I’ll have a look at your side and then your head”  
Once she was finished dressing the cuts he got to his feet and turning away from her for a moment said “It was me you heard shouting…I gave my spirit… my soul and all that I am to my father in exchange for your life. Detective Shay tried to kill me but he hit you instead…your blood sprayed across my face as your life left you and you fell…we fell together” after a long pause in which Simone processed what he had said she uttered…  
“What?...............Why? Why would you do such a thing?”  
“I couldn’t be without you…I couldn’t lose you too”  
“What does that mean?......... Damien? What does that mean?”  
“It means I’m the antichrist… I’m evil and death follows wherever I go”  
Simone moved close to Damien and took his hand, “YOU are NOT evil, and you have fought this every step of the way, you have struggled with everything to do with this notion of your destiny, you abhor the death of innocents and the actions of evil men, you went to sister Fraueva for help…to stop it…you didn’t want anything to do with this. Do those sound like the actions of the antichrist?”  
A tear escaped Damien’s eye and releasing a breath that revealed how tightly he was trying to hold on to his emotions he gripped her hand tightly.  
“But I…I gave myself to my father and you were healed…all those people came, they bowed down before me.” he said  
“That doesn’t mean you’re evil…that just means you’re very special…something is obviously happening here but trust me…you are most certainly NOT evil and you must believe it”  
“I want to believe it…I do…but …everything that’s happened…” he shook his head as he walked away. Finding a spot that looked promising as a semi shelter he dropped to the ground, his mind in turmoil and his body sore. Simone was right there behind him dragging the supplies closer so that she could tend to his other wounds.  
“Take off your top and lay back…I’m going to help you Damien, then we can get some rest and sort out what’s going on after that”  
For several hours they lay together, one comforted by the proximity of the other. Those hours were the time in which the bond between these two was cemented and whether a deal had been struck with Satan or not, Simone would be a constant in Damien’s life that would guide him and remind him of his ability to choose. This may just be the one thing that Ann, Armitage and ‘the movement of darkness’ had not accounted or prepared for.  
As they prepared to move on and find somewhere a little more permanent to hide, Simone sensed that Damien needed a different perspective to think about and so she turned to him and said…”Damien…let’s assume for a moment that you are the son of the devil. All that would mean is that you are the son of the devil…Satan…Beelzebub, Lucifer or whatever other name he is known by, but as you were born to a mortal you would also be human. Being the son of something evil wouldn’t make you evil…that’s a choice like everything else. You could still be you…in spite of your parentage.”  
Damien considered this and its possible implications “There are prophecies about the son of Satan that can’t be ignored…He is said to bring about the apocalypse…the end of days. I think for that to happen he would have to be evil and do some very bad things…there doesn’t seem to be much choice in that”  
“There are many things written in the bible Damien…some of them seem to be very clear in their meaning and others have been interpreted in a number of ways. It often speaks of a deceiver and of false prophets…perhaps you have been or are being deceived now. The antichrist could also come to mean a group and not an individual. The name itself implies something that is ‘against’ God or that is ‘in place of’ God, you haven’t been either of those things and have expressed no desire to be. Superstition and a lack of understanding of the natural world and all of the power contained within it lends itself to legends and myths and of an angry god…deceivers and evil people take advantage of such things and seize opportunity to manipulate and push their own agenda claiming it to be divinely prophesised or the will of God …”  
“But things have happened Simone that are beyond what a person could do…beyond explanation…beyond what I can explain.”  
“I know…and I believe you are special, who your earthly father is I cannot say, except to say that ultimately we are all the children of our lord God and as such HE is your father.” She smiled at him because she saw this simple awareness had offered him hope and if nothing else was at least giving him something to think about.  
Despite this Damien still feared he was evil, Simone insisted once again he was not. He reminded her that Lucifer at one time was an angel and so must have been good but still fell and became the evil we know today. Simone reminded him that to be cast out of heaven his sin was great. He wouldn’t accept his father’s creation and love for man. He declared that if all angels were allowed to decide for themselves about humans they would agree with him and so God granted the angels who wished it the ability to weigh what they believed to be true with what they believed to be right and he agreed to allow them to be swayed by argument and by love. However, this was on the condition that they all accepted the consequences of any and all decisions that they made. This was unprecedented of course and Lucifer saw an opportunity without perhaps fully appreciating what the consequences would be. Either way, what followed was a war in the heavens and Lucifer and his followers being expelled from heaven. Once on earth, they became different from the angels they were in heaven and it was their fall that ultimately damned them.   
“Each of the angels that lost their place in heaven did so through a choice they made…their choices led them on a dark path but you can keep choosing good Damien”  
“I can feel it inside me Simone, growing…I don’t always have control…since my birthday and that old woman in Syria …things changed…she’s following me, she has ALWAYS followed me”  
“Damien…What if…she is the evil presence, the force that has caused all the bad things in your life to happen. You said she has always been there, whenever something happened…even if you did it, she was always there. She is the only constant other than yourself…it must be her…somehow she or it is using you…how special you are to boost or amplify its own evil. Think about it…not often but throughout history there have been people…very special people that have been born and that have had a unique or powerful gift that others simply couldn’t explain. They noted them as saints or geniuses or as a scholar years ahead of their time. They became inventors or leaders or teachers. What if these people were like you in some way?”  
“None of those people were called the antichrist…or pursued by some evil entity or believed to be the destroyer”  
“No they weren’t but then maybe Armitage somehow knew ahead of time that you were coming, maybe you were indeed prophesised…but not as what they are having you believe.”  
“So…it might not be me?” “It’s not you…it’s them”


	2. Allies in the strangest places

Allies in the strangest places  
Whilst moving across the countryside Simone and Damien come across a strange girl in the wilderness; she had blue streaks in her hair and was unusually happy.   
“Where have you come from?” asked Simone, “the city…”answered the girl. “That’s a long way off…how did you get here?”  
“I walked … really fast” the girl said sarcastically…”How did YOU get here?”  
Simone looked her up and down; she was young, dirty and alone so probably not a threat but she decided to keep an eye on her anyway.   
“Why are you alone? Where are your parents?” The girl’s demeanour changed immediately and she awkwardly looked around her as though the question had confused her.  
“I’m not sure…I think they might be dead.”  
“What???! Why would you think that?”  
“People just started acting really funny…weird…and hurting themselves…they were chanting and a lot of them died. I was scared so I ran…then, when I could I grabbed some stuff and headed away from the people…will you help me?”  
Simone could see in to this child’s eyes now and she could see the fear and the bewilderment that was hiding and disguised as sarcasm and cockiness.   
“Yes, of course we’ll help you; if we can…we’re kinda in a spot of trouble ourselves.” Explained Simone. She went on to tell the girl as briefly as possible what had happened and what was currently happening to them. The girl listened intently as though being told a remarkably exciting ghost story. By the time Simone had finished the girl’s mouth had slowly fallen open in amazement and her final remark on the subject was “Woah…that’s incredible, are you ok Damien?”  
A little taken aback by her acceptance of the story Damien looked at Simone for acknowledgment that she was for real. Simone motioned for him to answer…”Yes” Damien paused momentarily, “I’m ok…thank you.”  
After spending some time together Simone said “we need to get Damien some allies.” Immediately the girl threw her hand in the air and exclaimed “I volunteer as tribute” Simone smiled at her and realising she hadn’t yet done so, asked her name, she said excitedly “I am Melissa…of Albion.” Simone laughed and said “welcome then”… Damien looked slightly perplexed for a moment and looked directly at Melissa. She gave him a smile that was reminiscent of a friend and he felt something strange. He was sure he didn’t know her and dismissed the peculiarity of her announcement as some sort of post-traumatic stress disorder. Moments later, he flipped his head around and looked straight at Simone saying “what if she’s one of them Simone?” “Nah…not even they’d take someone this crazy” He then turned his attention back to Melissa and when their eyes met she said “I love you Damien…it’s all for you” his eyes widened for a moment, unsure of how to respond, when Melissa explained that’s what the people were saying back in the city…right before they hurt themselves. “How many people were saying that Melissa?” “All of them I think”. Damien looked at Simone with a panic and sadness in his face…”It can’t be everyone Damien…Melissa wasn’t affected.” They both looked at her…she at them, “It’s true…I didn’t say it. I thought I was all alone, I didn’t see anyone else that was leaving.”   
“What about other kids? Did you see any other children that weren’t affected?”  
“No…but I was hiding for a while and then I just ran away.”  
Simone again comforts Melissa and reassures her that things will be ok…Melissa reaches for and takes Damien’s hand to which he seems unsure and uncomfortable, but once he feels the squeeze of her hand in his he relaxes and feels comforted too.  
As they walked, seemingly aimlessly…Simone knew they had to go somewhere more secure and they had to find Amani. Beyond this thinking there wasn’t much of a plan and she was concerned for Damien’s health. He had suffered some significant wounds but wasn’t really showing much sign of their impact on his body.  
“Damien…after we have rested tonight, I think we should head back to the grave site…I think there may be answers there.”  
“What? No…sister Fraueva tortured me there…did something to me…” He looked over at Simone with a deep sadness and said “I stabbed her”  
“Damien…listen to me…what you did, you did in self-defence…she betrayed your trust, she hurt you so badly and she was wrong” Simone paused for a moment to allow Damien some time to process this … “do you understand?” Damien nodded “but there were a lot of things there from the church…there may be answers”.  
“Simone, it will be crawling with Armitage employees…Rutledge…” He said her name with a certain amount of anger to his tone and then took a sudden and deep inhalation as though he had been holding his breath for too long. His hands became fists and his manner changed…Simone took his hands and as she did so she felt his body move from rigid deportment to a relaxed state once again. Damien seemed to be a little alarmed at this sudden change of state but was comforted to know that Simone could sense exactly when he needed to feel her touch and the total belief she had in him was the one thing right now that kept him going.  
“If we could check it out, if it was empty, then who would think to look for you there? And we need to check on Amani.”  
“He’s dead Simone…” Damien said angrily  
“I want to see it with my own eyes…I won’t believe that woman…I need to know for sure.”  
Damien gave a look to Simone that conveyed his belief that the trip would be dangerous and a waste of time. Simone returned a look that said ‘we’re going’ and it was agreed, without another word being uttered.  
“I’ll go in for you” piped up Melissa  
Damien and Simone both looked at her…”wherever it is you want to go…they won’t know me and I will see if it’s safe.”  
Damien smiled and nodded in appreciation of her gesture… “Time to rest then” said Damien and the three of them instantly began preparations, following a procedure that covered safety, protection and defence… they took up positions as though it had been indoctrinated in to them for many years. Melissa had already become very attached to Damien and Simone, she took centre position between them, just enough room to turn over but close enough for her hand to reach each of theirs if she needed to. This closeness they all shared filled Damien with a sense of belonging and he dared to think ‘joy’, but simultaneously he felt a terrible dread because he knew that if Armitage and Ann Rutledge knew of it they would be extremely angry and Simone and Melissa would be in mortal danger. Any human contact or connection that wasn’t controlled by them was quickly and decisively dealt with and he couldn’t lose them…either of them.  
When it seems as though the world is literally out to get you, bonds can be formed so quickly, it’s as though your brain goes in to overdrive and can process things at lightning speed, weighing up each action and word, reading the non-verbal cues and making a decision within minutes whether a person can be trusted, if they are genuine or not and if they need to be avoided. When you’re trying to survive your body and mind are capable of far more than you would imagine.  
Once daybreak was upon them they gathered their stuff and prepared to move on. Damien kept glancing over at Simone and it was clear to her that he had something on his mind. She waited for a few minutes but when he still hadn’t spoken to her she approached him…”What is it?” she said very matter of factly. He stopped what he was doing and looked at her, “What you said yesterday…about it being the old woman and not me…that had caused all that death…all the death that has followed me for my whole life…”  
“Yes” said Simone firmly  
“I really want that to be true…I don’t want to be this person who will do horrible things and who everyone dies around.” He was careful to keep his voice low in an attempt to conceal his self-doubt and fear from Melissa. Damien spoke like a small child who feared he might be in trouble and it brought a smile to Simone’s face…a gentle, half hidden smile that instantly made Damien feel better.   
“You are one of the best people I have ever met, my sister loved you and she didn’t EVER get that kinda stuff wrong, you shouldn’t want to change Damien because there’s nothing wrong with you…it’s them…they’re fanatical and somehow … yes they seem to be linked to darkness and evil…but you?…NO” she shook her head to emphasise her belief in this fact. “Knowing you as I do, knowing Amani and how he feels about you…no-one gets that kind of loyalty from a friend unless they are a good friend themselves. YOU ARE GOOD and we’re going to find some help. Don’t believe them…believe me.”  
“My mother told me that…in a dream.”  
“Told you what?” “That there isn’t anything wrong with me… but it was just a dream Simone, something I wanted to be true.” “Or… another part of you that knew the truth was fighting to be heard. Trust me…trust yourself.”  
“What about the soldiers Simone…what happened to them…do you remember that?”   
“Yes…I remember they were going to shoot me in the head and take you away…I remember that you saved my life.”  
“But how…?” “The ‘how’ we’ll sort out later, for right now let’s just try and figure out what’s going on, who’s affected and where Amani is.”  
“OK”  
They were heading back in a roundabout sort of way, hoping not to run in to anyone from Armitage or the army of darkness, taking every precaution they could and hoping that the fact there were three of them travelling together and not two might help hide their identity.  
They eventually drew near to the place where Damien’s brush with demons brought about an awakening of some sort of power. He was clearly anxious about approaching and they took cover in a disused building approximately 500 meters from the main building. The grounds here were vast and they should easily remain concealed for a while. They had seen only a couple of people milling about on their way in and so far there didn’t seem to be a viable threat.  
Melissa said “Don’t worry, I’ll head down and see what’s going on, I won’t be long.” Just as she was about to head over Damien took hold of her hand “The first sign of trouble…you get back here…ok?”  
She nodded and headed down.  
As she made her way around the perimeter of the main building she could hear voices talking …two or three people it seemed were just ahead of her. She slowed her pace and re-routed herself inan attempt to avoid them. It was far more difficult than she thought to move quietly through brush and wooded areas. Three hours passed and Melissa had quite successfully surveilled the property and determined that a number of areas of the building were unoccupied as were several outbuildings. As she turned from her position at the southeast corner to return to the others she was confronted by sister Fraueva who placed a hand over her mouth to stifle any sounds she might make. Melissa jumped and gasped but was quickly calmed by the removal of the nun’s hand from her mouth. Sister Fraueva motioned to her to remain quiet by raising her index finger and placing it before her own lips in a shushing gesture. Melissa nodded and Sister Fraueva led her away, through a heavily wooded area to another outbuilding that Melissa had not even noticed. They went inside, passed through several rooms and in to a basement area. Once they arrived there sister Fraueva spoke “my name is Gretta Fraueva, I won’t hurt you… please…sit.” Melissa cautiously took a seat whilst looking around the room and thinking what an excellent hideout this was. “What is your name? Where have you come from?” enquired sister Fraueva. “I’m Melissa…of…” she paused, thinking better of messing around with a nun “of…somewhere close to here I think…I’ve been walking a couple of days…I’m not sure where I am.”  
“Why did you come here Melissa? Where are your parents?”  
“I don’t know…is it safe here, can you help me?”  
Fraueva looked intently at the girl…”It’s safe enough for the moment…are you hungry? Thirsty?” she asked. Melissa was starving if the truth be told but she had to get back to Damien and Simone. At that moment she heard a muffled grumble from the far side of the room. She turned her head towards it and then back to the sister. “Who else is here?” she asked startled. “Don’t be alarmed child; it’s just another lost soul seeking sanctuary.” Melissa approached the person to see why they had been hiding over there and quickly realised they were hurt and lying on a camp bed. The closer she got the more she could see, it was a man and he was muttering in his state of semi consciousness. “What’s wrong with him?” “He’s been shot…he needs a doctor but it’s not safe to go to the hospital. I don’t know how he has held on this long, I don’t really have any medical supplies but I have done the best I can.”   
Melissa really wanted to ask who had shot him and why they were hiding and …it goes on but there was no time for that. She remembered that Simone had medical supplies and seemed quite handy with a swab and tape but couldn’t mention them yet to this woman, she had a weird feeling about her. “I need to go…I have friends waiting in the hills, they’ll wonder where I am.”  
“You have friends? How many are there? Are they like you…I mean, are they ok?”  
“Yeah they’re fine but they need me back there.”  
“It’s not safe to be out there Melissa, you should stay with us…how many friends do you have?”  
Another groan came from the man…”Melissa just wait a moment, I must tend to Amani and then I will help you to your friends.”  
Melissa’s head whipped around…”Amani!?” she had meant only to think that but spoke it out loud and in a tone that showed recognition. Sister Fraueva looked at Melissa and said “You know him?”  
Melissa backed away slowly…shaking her head from side to side to indicate ‘no’. Then she turned and darted from the room and out of the building as quickly as she could. Once outside she didn’t waste a single second racing back to Damien and Simone.  
…  
Damien and Simone were growing increasingly concerned with the amount of time Melissa had been gone and they paced back and forth periodically…taking turns to be the most worried. Between them they had dissected every possible scenario of the time it was taking and reasons why they should wait or go after her. They had up until now been able to reassure one another that everything was ok but time was running out for that.  
As the tension grew and the pair drew closer to going after her the door was thrown open and Melissa flew in. Damien and Simone prepared to fight whatever was surely pursuing her. She came to a stop and then ran back towards the door to close it…which she did quietly. Damien moved quickly to the window and peered out gingerly, trying to see as much of the outside as possible.   
“What is it?” Asked Melissa inquisitively, whilst still trying to catch her breath, “Is someone else out there? Was I followed?”  
“What are you talking about?” Damien said through gritted teeth as he realised no one was giving chase. “Why d’you burst in here like that?”  
“Oh…I found Amani, he’s with some nun…Gretta something…he’s hurt bad and they’re hiding near here…she almost got me, but I got away…she kept asking me who I was with… but that’s your friend right? Amani?”  
Simone’s face lit up but Damien looked confused and angry…”Amani’s here? Where? Take me to him?”  
The three of them left their temporary shelter taking nothing with them. They followed Melissa’s lead, moving as quickly and as quietly as possible. As they went Melissa did her best to fill them in on the situation of the main building, how many people she saw and where might be safe. As they got closer to the place where Sister Fraueva and Amani were hiding Simone grabbed Damien’s arm and pulled him back. They all stopped, he knew what she was going to say and he exhaled loudly and bowed his head. His heart rate was up and his respirations had increased significantly…”Damien…please, hold it together until we know what’s going on.” The two of them were so close to one another in proximity it was almost as if they were embracing…she stared keenly in to his tear filled eyes looking for some reasoning, some control and some calm. “OK”.  
They entered the building and Melissa led them down the passageway and then stairs to the back room of the cellar. Damien rushed over to where they could see a man lying on a bed; he fell to his knees and placed his hand at the side of Amani’s neck feeling for a pulse. He’s alive…I don’t believe it but he’s alive. At that same moment sister Fraueva stepped from the shadows, her arms outstretched before her, palms facing towards Damien…she trod carefully and with purpose. She spoke in a low and soft tone “Damien…he is very weak, he’s been shot…a man named John Lyons shot him and buried us alive…I pulled him out when they were gone but I cannot save him.”  
“How is it YOU are looking so well sister? Shouldn’t you also be knocking on deaths door?”  
“I would have been, but I prayed to my lord to save me…and he did. I could finally see my mistake and I knew my work was not yet done. I had to SAVE YOU Damien…from them.”  
“YOU tried to kill me! You…you…” Damien couldn’t even finish his sentence…what the sister had done to him was gruesome and heinous and he couldn’t repeat it but his heart was filling with hate.  
“Forgive me…I am truly sorry this has happened to you and for the part I played in your suffering. But things have been set in to motion that will take all of us to stop.”  
Simone tended to Amani and Melissa went to sit by her to help while Damien walked up and down passed the nun, he was thinking things through, going over and over the events that had led to this encounter. “Do you have answers? Can you help us or not? “  
“I do and I can…if you will allow me.”  
Damien wanted to kill her; his anger was growing along with his frustration at everything that made absolutely no sense. He desperately tried to maintain control so that he could help Amani and save himself, Simone and Melissa. He felt he was at a tipping point and struggled with his feelings when he felt Melissa’s hand slip in to his. The anger instantly dissipated and he squeezed her hand for the strength that it offered.  
“What do you know? How can you help us?”  
“I believe the evil that has surrounded you comes from a demon named Aamon…he has disguised himself by possessing the old woman you told me about and appeared throughout your life as her. He has used his knowledge of past and future events to manipulate you and those around you and when necessary he has removed anyone that got in his way.” The old woman is the embodiment of evil and she channels this through Damien using his special nature to amplify her own evil. This is why it has followed him through his life and all the deaths associated with him have actually been her (Aamon). She is the harbinger of evil and Simone is your counterbalance. I also see you have picked up someone else on your travel who seems to have influence over you.” Once Gretta spoke about Melissa this way, Damien moved her behind him and walked towards the sister. “Don’t you speak about her again…do you understand?”  
“I do” the sister said peacefully  
Damien moved away from her and over to where Amani lay…”How’s he doing?”  
“Not good Damien, he’s not even conscious…his pulse is very weak.”  
Damien paced a little more frantically…  
“Things have happened…I’ve done things that have no explanation.”  
“There is an explanation…” said Gretta, “it just isn’t an earthly one. You are marked and you are the son of the devil but you still have a choice about the sort of man you are…you’re not inherently evil, no man is but you are incredibly special.”  
Sister Fraueva brought them all up to speed about the priests that had arrived from the Vatican and what their purpose was. She went on to explain that she had taken refuge here because she finally realised that them killing Damien was not the answer…it was the woman Aamon that must be stopped and she knew they would never listen or believe it.  
She asked them to tell her everything that had happened since they parted company so that she could help them. Simone told most of the story as she knew it or could remember from what Damien had told her and sister Fraueva pondered on the information. “Hmmm…I don’t think this is all of the story…again you have been manipulated in to doing something against your nature…do you feel as though you have given yourself completely over to your father?”  
Damien stopped walking back and forth and looked at her. “No…I don’t really feel any different.”  
“This is good…someone or something else is at play here too. I don’t think you met Melissa by accident either, I believe she was put in your path to anchor you, as Simone does. They complement each other and help you stay focused. The love you have for them is keeping him at bay. You think you struck a deal with him to save Simone, but I believe it was you all along that saved her…and not him, this is why the vow you swore has come to nothing because it cannot be binding unless the other party fulfils their obligation to you, which means you are not beholden to your vow.”  
“How did I save her…I did nothing but stand there”  
“You were bleeding…maybe…it was your blood that saved her. Everything about you is special…we don’t really know what we’re dealing with, prophecy states that the son of Satan will bring about the end of days but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s you. Maybe you have to choose it…like all free men you have the will to choose for yourself…demons and those that follow them just try to steer your course for you…but you are very strong Damien and you have surprised everyone I’m sure.”  
“My blood can save Amani? How?”  
“If your blood entered Simone and saved her, it must enter him.”  
Damien rushed over to where Amani lie and removed the blanket covering him, he lifted his blooded sweater to reveal the gunshot wound and searched nearby for something with which to cut himself. Sister Fraueva stepped forward with a small knife. Damien looked at her a little puzzled and for a moment wondered if he was still being manipulated as having the knife available at just the right time after that little speech seemed more than a little coincidental. She motioned for him to take it, which he did…, he then cut across his palm and dripped his blood in to Amani’s wound…and waited.


	3. The four horsemen

As Damien’s blood ran in to Amani’s wound they all stared intently at it, expecting some miraculous thing to occur, hoping and praying that something good would happen and that he would be saved. A few seconds passed and nothing had changed…Simone looked at Damien in despair, her own respirations quickening and her hope failing. Melissa stood between them both, took each of their hands and they all faced Amani with sister Fraueva looking on curiously. Melissa smiled as though she knew of an imminent surprise that no one else was aware of. Softly and almost inaudibly Simone said “It’s not working” and began to lower her head. Melissa gently tugged on her arm and she returned to a position of attentiveness. At that moment the small pool of blood that had rested so carefully on Amani’s skin, proceeded inwards, absorbed by his body and the external wound closed.  
Sister Fraueva moved in closer to be certain of what she was witnessing and although expecting it to happen still showed an element of shock that it actually did.   
Melissa released Simone and Damien’s hand and set about getting a drink for Amani while Damien moved in to check the status of Amani’s health. He picked up a nearby cloth and dampening it with some water from a nearby bowl he wiped it across Amani’s forehead, clearing away a significant amount of sweat that had accumulated there, formed by his body’s attempts to stay alive. Suddenly Amani’s breathing became stronger and was apparent to everyone, no longer shallow and infrequent. He stirred and moved his hand up to his head in a clumsy fashion, reaching for the source of comfort and coolness that he could feel against his skin. His hand found Damien’s and Damien grasped it as though to let go might be his end. He pulled Amani’s hand close as he dropped to his knees, placing the back of Amani’s hand against his own forehead. When Amani had regained enough cognition to allow him to process events he calmly said “Damien?” to which Damien’s head shot up and with tears welling in his eyes and one rogue tear falling down his cheek he replied “yeah buddy, it’s me.”  
Slightly confused and actively running through all the events that he could remember from his last conscious 12-18 hours, he began to sit up with the intention of rising and continuing on from where he believed them all to be in respect to avoiding Armitage and Ann Rutledge. He was instead met with a hand from Damien on his chest pleading with him to take it easy and stay put. Melissa was now standing before him with fresh water, arms extended, offering the refreshment…and smiling.  
Amani cautiously took the water from Melissa and although he didn’t know or recognise her he felt a familiarity which proved to reassure him that she was ok. He went to take a sip from the cup and as his lips met the rim his head rose and a realisation overcame him in which he proclaimed very loudly, “I was shot!” He looked down at his stomach, moving his clothing around frantically and feeling across his abdomen. “It’s alright Amani, you’re ok now…just calm down.” Asserted Damien. “No, you don’t understand…I was shot by Lyons…and then”…he looked baffled and his eyes searched the room for some sort of reasoning, “he threw me in to a grave.” He paused for a moment… “There were bodies in there…nuns I think and a sister…alive at the time, hurt like me, dying…” He then looked directly at Damien “They buried us alive…how …how is this possible, what the hell happened to me?” Damien didn’t know where to begin and he looked more worried than anything at how Amani would react to what had actually happened. Simone stepped forward and took Amani’s hand; she then pulled him closer and threw her arms around him. A second later he reciprocated and the two embraced like long lost friends. “You have no idea how weird things have got and the things that have happened in the past few days but we will explain everything as much as we possibly can, but for now…just know you are safe and healed and amongst friends.”  
Amani drank the water and listened intently as Simone, Damien and sister Fraueva each gave an account of the events that had unfolded over previous days. Sister Fraueva also told of prophecy and destinies yet fulfilled, bible stories and scripture that laid out a course of action that she had believed was unfolding in front of her…that was until now. When the story reached the point of sister Fraueva’s involvement in Damien’s ascension Amani’s gaze moved from Simone to the sister and for a usually passive and gentle man he conveyed in that one look his intention to annihilate her completely if she should ever raise a hand against him again. She knew instantly that without a doubt he would kill her to protect Damien…”What is this hold he has over you?” she asked calmly. A slightly puzzled and amused look developed on her face as he remained silent.   
“Are you ok? “He asked Damien in a truly concerned way. Damien nodded…”I am now.”  
“I’m gonna go and get our stuff…stay here and stay quiet, we still don’t know who’s here, I’ll be back soon.”  
Acknowledging that they needed their supplies, Simone silently agreed with a nod of her head, “Be careful.”  
“I’ll come with you” stated Melissa  
“Oh no”…said Damien smiling at her, “I need you here…to keep an eye on Amani” Melissa drew breath to offer her response when Damien quickly added; “I have to know you’re safe Melissa, you can’t come.” He placed a hand on the side of her face and gently stroked her cheek with his thumb. “Ok?”  
Melissa knew the best way to help him right now was to comply with his wishes and so she reluctantly said OK.  
Damien left and Simone placed herself strategically between Amani and sister Fraueva whilst motioning to Melissa to move round to the other side of the bed so that she was as far away from the sister as possible.  
“If I was going to hurt him I would have done it already…before you got here. I saved him in case you forgot about that. I am not your enemy…I just want to destroy the darkness, the same as you.”  
“Not the same, sister…you tortured my friend and imprisoned me…you shot Veronica and denied her medical attention, I’m not sure you ever intended to save anyone”.  
“Think of me what you will but we must all work together if we are going to protect humanity and save Damien…they need him to rule and without him they have nothing…they will never stop coming after him unless we can find a way to stop them.”  
…  
Damien left the relative safety of the outbuilding and made his way quietly through the trees heading back to where they had left their belongings…he could hear distant voices and vehicles moving around and a strange feeling came over him, it was a blend of anxiety and annoyance, he had never felt anything like it before. He thought to himself, ‘what the hell am I doing? What are any of us gonna do now? Can’t trust the nun…but she is valuable…have to keep the others safe…Melissa is such a sweetheart as it turns out and very perceptive and intuitive for someone her age and …  
And …it pained him to accept it but he needed them all, including the sister. Amani, Simone, and Melissa had become his family…strange as that was, these were very strange times, but the sister…that was a hard pill to swallow…just the thought of her drew the anger in Damien’s soul to the fore and it was hard to subdue, but she did have a lot of knowledge and maybe the answer to this craziness did lay with her. He hoped for her sake that it did because if she proved worthless or even hinted at moving against them he wasn’t sure he would be able to control his urge to wipe her from existence.  
Pushing thoughts of her aside he retrieved their belongings and headed back to the relative safety of the building basement.   
Relief flooded everyone’s face when he returned safely…everyone’s but sister Fraueva’s that is. Damien seemed to be the only one aware of this and he kept a wary eye on the sister as the rest of them prepared something to eat and sleeping areas that offered a modicum of comfort, with blankets and coats and cloth and whatever else they could find that would suffice as bedding and provide warmth through the night. There was a brief discussion about who should get the camp bed but it was quickly decided that the nun would sleep there and the rest of them would remain in close proximity to one another away from her. The sister understood their feelings towards her but desperately needed Damien to realise she could help him and that in order to do that she needed there to be trust once again. To try and rebuild that trust she accepted their arrangements without question. It was only now however, that she began to realise how difficult a thing trust is when it is being rebuilt from betrayal and she prayed for guidance and forgiveness.  
Before they all fell in to slumber Simone asked Damien how he was doing, physically as well as emotionally. He looked at her as though this was a question with no reasonable answer and shrugged his shoulders. Simone reciprocated by doing the same with a smile on her face and a look that questioned the meaning of this gesture. Damien just shook his head from side to side and a deep sadness fell over him. With her left hand Simone took his hand,…as she always did…for she required as much comfort from this contact as Damien received himself, and with her other hand she touched his face, cradling it with her palm. He tilted his head ever so slightly to that side to more deeply feel the touch of her skin and the love that she offered. She said “are you healing? You seem much better but I haven’t checked your wounds today”.  
“I’m fine” Damien said in a low tone, raising his eyes to meet hers and nodding, “I’m healing”.  
Amani asked why he wasn’t already healed if he could raise someone from the dead and heal a fatal gunshot wound…why couldn’t he heal himself so quickly.  
Damien attempted to answer but before he could get a word out the nun spoke up and explained that his wounds were not inflicted by a mere man or woman, under normal human circumstances but instead by ancient ritual and ceremony using powerful talismans and words preserved by guardians that once spoken or invoked would render the subject vulnerable. When she concluded her account and looked at them, all eyes were on her with expressions ofperplexity and suspicion.   
“I thought I was helping you…” she said, “I thought if I raised you to ascension and revealed the truth to you I could expel the darkness. I was extremely foolish and naïve to think this, I see that now…of course. I betrayed you…yes, this is true and a thing I believed I had no choice in. My conviction was to the church and to God himself, I couldn’t tell you the truth of everything because you would not have agreed and I really believed it was the only way to save everyone. I am truly sorry Damien…I was misinformed and my actions simply caused more death…this was not your fault but mine. I hope, at some point, you can find it within your heart to forgive me”.  
Simone stepped forward in anger, wanting to strike the nun down and shove her words back in to her mouth because the rage they had unveiled in her were too powerful to control. She had also been betrayed by the nun and her friend had been cruelly hurt in every way conceivable. This was unforgivable in Simone’s eyes and her fury took over. As she stepped forward with clear intent to do harm, Damien grabbed her and stopped her momentum with his arm blocking her and somehow creating a path of resistance that she could not penetrate. As unusual as this was, the moment passed with no one querying how this could be and he turned Simone back towards the sleeping area and motioned for her to rest. Each one of them inside that room could feel something happening…a change, a transition of sorts, from who they once were to who they were becoming.  
Damien, Simone and Melissa slept for a few hours whilst Amani sat in the darkened corner, wide awake and watching the sister who from the other side of the room sat watching him. The hours between dusk and dawn were uneventful and Amani gently woke the others as it was time to move on. Each of them collected what they thought they would need and prepared to leave. Amani asked Damien where they were going and he said he thought they should head back in to the city…to see what was happening, because how could they fight something if they didn’t know what it was they were up against. They couldn’t simply wander around in fear, hiding from everyone; they needed to know what Armitage was up to and how far they had gone with their plans.   
Damien turned towards Melissa and placed a hand on either of her shoulders; gently squeezing he asked if she was ok to go back to the city. She looked at him intently, drawing on his strength and conviction to do right, seeing the need he had for her to be ok…she smiled and nodded even though she felt a knot in her stomach and was clearly fearful of what may lay ahead. Damien was not oblivious to her fear and anxiety and loved her all the more for trying to conceal it to make him feel better. He assured her that no matter what happened, he would protect her and do everything he could to keep her safe. This promise of sorts meant the word to Melissa as she had not realised how empty her life had been of this sense of protection, of being cared for above all others and it filled her with determination and courage that saw her out of the door and in to the unknown.  
Simone bowed her head and smiled as she left the room having just witnessed Damien’s sweet moment with Melissa and realising what a good man he was in every aspect and being in awe of his ability to go on. This action reinforced her love for Damien, and the group, as mismatched as it may seem moved out together to face whatever demons might find them.  
Travelling cautiously through back roads and woodland they arrived after several hours at an industrial area a few miles from the city limits. Up until now the people they had encountered had seemed quite normal, carrying on their business with no odd behaviours or violent outbursts. This was both comforting and worrisome at the same time because what did it mean? Was this part of the plan, were they being tricked…manipulated…trapped somehow…contact was avoided but they moved on with the hopes that it was a good sign.  
Suddenly Damien felt a sharp pain in his neck; he gasped and stopped… raising his hand to his neck and pulling out a small dart. He tried to look around to find the source of the threat and make sense of what was happening as he slowly weakened, became disoriented and lost consciousness. The others rushed to his aid and made a short lived attempt to get themselves and Damien to cover. They could not see or hear anyone and had no idea of which way to run or where to hide and before they could determine any of these things, one by one they were hit with darts themselves and each fell in to a deep and dreamless sleep.  
When they awoke they found that they had been chained to walls and separated, with each one of them on a different wall within a stone floored room with a low ceiling, Simone thought it was reminiscent of a dungeon. Damien was chained to a post in the centre of the room, his hands behind his back and his feet chained together, the others were chained with their hands above their heads. Damien called out to each of them as he frantically tried to break free.  
“You won’t be able to break those chains Damien; they’re made from sanctified metal…sanctified by your father…so …they will hold you”.  
Damien screamed in anger and frustration as he realised the truth of what this person was saying and after his best efforts to break free had come to nothing.  
As this man he had never seen before and who held him at his mercy smugly circled him, his mind raced through all the possibilities that might follow and panic grew inside of him as his words to Melissa of how he would protect her screamed in his ear and tore at his soul.   
Damien said nothing and composed himself in an attempt to appear more confident and resolute than he actually was.  
His captor requested compliance and submission to his father as his vow demanded. Damien looked him in the eye and remained silent. “You will submit Damien…it is written in prophecy …that cannot be denied and your defiance will prove painful for your so called friends, so you should spare them and accept your role”.  
Damien looked at this person with questioning eyes coated in fear at what may follow…the silence was broken by Amani’s screams. Damien jumped at the sudden heart stopping sound of a loved one in pain and his head turned towards the agonizing, blood curdling screams of his dearest friend. Another was with him, poking at him with an electrified rod, holding it on his skin until it sizzled and smoked. Damien thrashed about within his restraints trying to release himself to offer help but could do nothing but scream for them to stop.  
This man before Damien raised his hand and the other stopped the torture, “I will give you some time to consider your position and then I will return. The decision you make here will determine how we proceed, so it’s all up to you…shall we say one hour?”  
This cruel and indifferent individual cleared the room and left Damien and the others to ponder their fate.   
“Amani!! … are you alright?” called Damien  
“Amani!” shouted Simone…”answer us!”  
“I…i…I’m alright…still here.”  
The gasps that came from the centre of the room could be heard by all, the relief and the pain in them was something that touched everyone emotionally and after a few seconds of silence the nun spoke…  
“What he spoke of before…the prophecy…it was true…exactly as he said it.”  
“NO!” screamed Simone, “no prophecy will determine what happens here today…I won’t believe it and neither should you Damien”.  
“There are many prophecies my dear…that speak of and to the end of days. Some are well known and published works where others have remained hidden, protected and occasionally dismissed by those with their own agendas to pursue. But despite this, exist they do…and it is within one of these prophecies that Damien may find absolution”.  
“What the hell does that mean? What prophecies do you speak of?” demanded Amani  
“The Four Horsemen.” Replied Sister Fraueva  
“What?...of the apocalypse? You are crazy…” he looked about him for a moment trying to fathom what was happening, what it meant and what, if anything, they could do about it. Then a thought popped in to his head “oh…oh I see, there are four of us, we’re the horsemen? Come to bring about the end…is that what you are saying?”  
“When prophecy and the word of God were placed together in a book that would guide the future of man, it was deemed necessary by some to remove certain key pieces of information, which may otherwise lead to an understanding by man that would not be in the interests of the church or as profitable for religion. If this information or prophecy, whichever you prefer, were known, then the fear utilised by the church to control the masses may not have been so effective. It is not a position I support but it happened nonetheless” explained Fraueva.  
“Ok”, said Simone…”spill what you know…what’s the prophecy?”  
“We four appear to be the balance that will thwart the horsemen if they proceed to demand judgement. It was written that when the four horsemen ride, if the faithful remain true then an equal and opposite force of four will rise to oppose the damnation brought forth by conquest, war, famine and death. I believe the ‘four’ spoken of are us four right here…but the prophecy also states that the four must be united in their quest…bonded and pure in their intent to conquer evil and cast it down…back to hell.”  
Amani began to laugh, amongst the splutters and coughing resulting from his ordeal and between these bursts of astonished chuckling he said “What could we possibly do? We’re chained to the walls, guarded…helpless…what kind of force are we?” His chuckles turned to a half laugh half sob as he began to lose hope.  
“What do you mean united?” asked Simone, “we are united; we’re all here, right now, together”.  
“Simone, don’t buy in to her stories, it’s ridiculous…” Damien uttered  
“It’s no more ridiculous than everything else that has happened…everything we’ve seen and the things you can do…Damien…! You’re remarkable…and special beyond words and it does all make an absurdly frightening amount of sense right now.  
Within the few minutes that had passed since they had been left alone Damien suddenly realised that they hadn’t heard a word from Melissa. “Melissa!” he yelled…there was nothing. They all strained to see the far wall, to catch a glimpse of her, to determine what was wrong…”Melissa!!!!” Screamed Damien, panic building and filling him with a dread he could not bear. “Can anyone see her? Is she alive? Melissa!”   
Silence filled the room as each person processed what might have happened and why Melissa had not regained consciousness like the rest of them had. They could see her limp body hanging from the chains, her head over to one side with her face hidden in shadow.  
Time seemed to pass very quickly and before they knew it the man had returned to seek Damien’s answer. As he entered the room four others entered with him, each placing themselves next to Amani, Simone, Fraueva and Melissa.  
“Who are you?” asked Damien  
“Who I am is not important…what I can do to you is what you should be concerned about right now”  
“Does Ann Rutledge know what you’re doing? Because I’m pretty sure she doesn’t want me hurt…”   
“Ms Rutledge requested your capture and return but I’m sure she will be very pleased when I bring her a broken and compliant son rather than an impetuous and disobedient one. Now that you have had time to consider things, what have you decided…will you submit and accept your father…your true father?”  
“What have you done to Melissa? Why isn’t she awake?”  
“Aah yes the child…the dose of the anaesthetic may have been a little high for her; she probably won’t recover, especially if we were to administer the same treatment your friend received earlier. Now, with that in mind…answer.”  
Damien remained silent…he seemed lost in himself and in his purpose.  
“Get away from him you pig” screamed Simone  
With a depraved smile on his face he gave a nod to the man standing next to her and he raised his hand to reveal an electrified prodder that he slowly moved towards Simone’s exposed abdominal skin. Once contact was made her shrieks filled the room and Damien was snapped back to reality.   
“STOP!!!!!” he demanded, screaming until he was hoarse and pulling at his chains with every ounce of his strength.  
Then the man nodded towards Fraueva and her screams filled the space, only this time there were no yells of opposition from Damien. He felt something else when she called out in pain and although he didn’t mean to he took pleasure in it. It almost felt empowering, overwhelming him with a sense of delight that both sickened him and thrilled him at the same time. Usually one of the others would step forward at his point and make contact with him to subdue this innate part of his personality but no one was available to remind him of who he truly was and he began to lose himself once again, only this time it was not to despair or fear but to darkness. Seeing this reaction in him encourages his captors and they fuel his desire to see her punished with repeated torture.  
Melissa begins to stir back in to consciousness and her weak and incoherent mumblings draw Damien’s attention away from Fraueva which infuriates the jailer when he sees his future plans to infiltrate the hierarchy of the Rutledge Corporation jeopardised. He marches over there himself and grabs the prodder from the guard striking Melissa with it. Her body convulses with the current and she flails around, her sounds diminishing and Damien’s rage growing. With so many conflicting emotions he is left vulnerable and the darkness begins to overtake him, he fears he has failed his friends…his family and the rest of the world and is ready to give himself over to darkness to save them when the most brilliant light forces the darkness back and standing before Damien is Melissa.  
He is in disbelief…he looks to where she was and sees her there still, he looks to the others and they are not reacting to what he sees. He looks at Melissa again, still standing before him and says…”How?” she smiles at him and takes his hand “Damien do you feel this? The light that surrounds you, as well as the darkness?” “I do, but it’s too far away to reach…I’m so sorry I couldn’t protect you Melissa…I’m so sorry.”   
“You resisted all attempts to turn you until you saw no alternative but to sacrifice yourself to save us…it’s always the sacrifice that holds the most power. We are the four…but we are not united. We must be united to overcome and to stand before darkness as a force of equal light. It’s up to you to unite us Damien.”   
Seemingly defeated in every way he looked around the room at his friends and as his eyes passed each one he felt tremendous interconnectedness and love until he reached Fraueva and when he looked upon her battered and abused body and how she still persevered to stand before her tormentor he realised that she was not the evil borne out of righteousness and ignorance that he thought but someone on a similar path to his who just fought the darkness in a different way.  
He realises the sacrifices that she has made and the depth of her faith and he forgives her. A tear rolls down his face and at that moment they all seem to feel the same thing. Each of them knowing and feeling what Damien is feeling and their eyes well up with tears. Damien looks at this ghostly figure of Melissa before him and as she begins to fade she looks down at her arm to see a mark forming. A brand appears on her forearm as it does on each of the others that glows a magnificent white. Her apparition moves back towards her limp body and merges with it to instantly see her revived and healthy. With ease they break free from their chains and stand before Damien as a united family. The men move on them to do harm and are obliterated in the light that is still emanating from the four of them. Damien is overcome with a powerful feeling of belonging and a presence of good that he has long since sought and above all he feels validated. He breaks free from his own chains and the five of them stand there looking at one another, no longer broken, no longer filled with fear but instead having a purpose and a means to accomplish it.  
From the shadows where she had lurked and observed…the old woman shrunk back in to darkness and light once again filled the room.


	4. Heading Home

Heading home  
Melissa ran in to Damien’s arms and squeezed him tightly, no-one was completely sure what had just transpired but they knew it was miraculous and it had bonded them beyond friendship and beyond family. Melissa was soon joined by Simone and Amani and as a group they embraced one another with new hope in their hearts. As Damien pulled each one of them closer and kissed them on the side of the face or forehead he thanked them all for pulling him back from the darkness and keeping him well and truly tethered to them and on the right path.  
Once they had collected themselves and had accepted that they were safe and they could relax for a moment they turned and faced sister Fraueva. She stood there humbly and patiently waiting for direction. Having just been forgiven for a terrible wrong that she inflicted on Damien she dare not overstep her bounds for fear of risking the bond that had formed between them.   
“Sister?” spoke Damien softly, “please…come” he opened one arm, raising and lifting it to one side, beckoning her to move forward. She glanced at the others as if expecting some adverse reaction from them. They gently nodded and she slowly moved forward until she stood before him, just out of reach of his arm. “We’re all in this together now sister…bonded or something by all accounts…and strong…very strong when we stand together…so please take the final step”. Tears fell from her eyes as she finally allowed herself to believe she had made the right choice at last and was on the path to push back the ensuing evil that dogged them at every step and would destroy the world given the chance. She moved forward and embraced Damien and the brotherhood (albeit between two women, two men and a very special girl) was complete.  
As they stumbled out of the room in which they had been held, Damien turned to Amani and said “This is real…right?...is this real?”  
“As real as you or I could say my friend…”  
Damien looked perplexed and his head tilted slightly to one side as he sought more clarity from Amani…  
Amani looked at him in silence for a moment…waiting for him to get it….to understand…when the silence lasted for longer than was comfortable he replied “Yes…Damien…It’s real”.  
Satisfied with this he nodded and continued to exit the building, hoping at the same time that they weren’t all trapped in the same delusion or just him with very realistic existential monologue and accompanying visions.  
The five of them…beaten, tortured and bedraggled, walked slowly and silently towards town when a car pulled alongside them and invited them in. “Where ya headed?” said the voice from inside…”Looks like you folks could use a ride”. They all stopped and looked at one another, and then at the car…Damien lowered his body to a stoop and peered in the car, one hand resting on the roof. “We’re enjoying our walk, thank you” he moved as if to re-join the group and continue on their way when the voice said “Come on now…I got plenty of room and y’all look exhausted…let me help ya out”. Damien looked at Simone as she squinted her eyes forming a puzzled look; this confirmed what Damien was thinking …something wasn’t right here. The others could see what was about to happen…Damien was going to let this guy leave without them. “Damien!” He turned towards Amani…”seriously?? You’re gonna let him leave?” Damien looks around the group and sees the tiredness in their eyes and then looks again at the car…he wonders if it’s worth the risk. “Are you really enjoying the walk?” Asks Melissa, “Because I’m getting in the car”, “me too” says sister Fraueva. The whole group heads for the back doors of the vehicle when Damien intercepts and blocks their path. “What if he’s from Armitage?” Damien half whispers…”could be anyone in there, just waiting to grab us and try to kill me again…oh yeah…and each of you…d’you want to be shot, stabbed, electrocuted…chained?”  
“Don’t worry…it won’t be so easy for them now Damien” Melissa said taking his hand, “we’re much stronger now than we were when that happened to us…we’ll keep you safe”.  
“Well I didn’t mean just me? I…” before he could finish they were all piled in to the car and waiting for him.  
“Welcome…welcome, I’m Graeme, make yourselves comfy”  
Damien took the front passenger seat and gave Graeme a look that said…make a move on us and it will be your last. Graeme smiled and said “take it easy…relax…I’ll get you home”. “Thank you Graeme” came a voice from the back, “It was very kind of you to stop…we clearly don’t look our best. We haven’t seen many people around…where are you coming from?” “Oh I’m coming from the hospital…there’s been some crazy shit happenin’ lately, a lot of people were hurt…seems to have stopped though, things are slowly returning to normal…you aint seen it then? Where you been?”  
“Oh no…we’ve seen it alright, we just didn’t know if it had stopped.” Stated Simone  
“Yep…earlier today…crazy just went back to normal, like someone flicked a switch…well as normal as anything ever was anyhow”.  
Looks were exchanged between Simone, Amani and sister Fraueva as they were all thinking of the moment they formed their bond and united as the four protectors. Melissa was oblivious to the conversation and was simply enjoying the ride with the window down, wind blowing in her face throwing her locks all over the place and bringing a smile of sheer pleasure on to her face.  
Damien instructed Graeme, street by street, turn by turn, where he could take them and where he could stop as if protecting the destination by not actually revealing it in spoken terms. It wasn’t long before they were all back at Damien’s loft and relieved to be there. As they crossed the threshold of the apartment it felt as though this would be their sanctuary, it felt safe and protected which was very strange to all but the sister and Melissa who had not been there before, as to the others who were very familiar with the building and the space, this feeling was new and they received it with caution.  
“See! Nothing happened…we took the lift and nothing happened”. Said Amani smugly  
“Yet…nothing happened yet” retorted Damien “taking that lift is gonna bite us in the ass, you wait and see”.  
Amani chuckled…and went to make some coffee  
Simone took Damien’s hand and quietly said “Do you have a plan? Why have we come back here? Should we call someone…for help?”  
He looked at her intently and he knew she needed answers, that she needed him to have the answers but he didn’t. “I don’t know Simone…It just seemed as good a place as any to go…until we can figure some things out”. He looked sorry and that’s not what Simone wanted…”I don’t expect you to have all the answers…of course not, how could you…we’ll figure this out together…all of us. You can lean on us Damien, as much as we do you…ok? Don’t forget that”.   
Damien felt a small weight lift and he started moving a few things around to make room for everyone. A few minutes later when the coffee was made and everyone had found a place to sit he noticed that Melissa was gone. “Where’s Melissa?” he said in a slightly concerned voice. The others looked around and Simone and Amani got to their feet to search for her when Damien stepped in to the next room, a cloakroom of sorts, where he hung coats and stored boxes and saw her curled up in the corner. “It’s ok” he said in a hushed voice and raising his arm to calm them and indicate that they need not proceed further, “She’s here”. He moved forward and crouched down in front of her, sliding his arms underneath her limp body. He lifted her up and towards his chest, holding her tightly and securely he rose to his feet and carried her to his bedroom. Her head rested gently on his shoulder and the sound of his heart beating offered a measure of solace to her whilst she slept. He laid her gently on the bed and covered her with a comforter, moving some fallen hair from her face and kissing her forehead he quietly left to join the others and hopefully have time to rest and prepare for whatever was to come.  
“Is everything ok?” asked Amani, “Yes…everything is…”answered Damien, “She’s sleeping, she was out like a light on the floor, curled up in a ball…I forgot how young she is until I saw her lying there. I think this whole thing has hit her harder than we realised and we should keep a close eye on her.”  
Damien sat down next to Simone and leaned back dropping his head and letting out a loud sigh of relief. Amani handed him a coffee and asked what they were going to do. Damien sipped his coffee and then replied “We’re gonna get a decent nights rest and then head out in the morning to scope things out…see what’s what and try to make sense of what happened. We need more answers than we have right now so we might have to hit the books too…whatever it takes. We also need to find Melissa’s family…they must be out of their minds with worry…one thing at a time though, and for now it’s sleep”.  
Simone bunked in with Melissa, sister Fraueva had some space set aside in a back room and Amani and Damien settled in the main living/working area of his loft. Before they got too comfortable though they had made a makeshift barricade in front of the main door and secured it with a rope and old bicycle chain they found in the utility cupboard. Even though they had vapourised their captors just a few hours earlier with no effort at all, that had for the moment anyway been put to one side, almost as if it hadn’t happened and they chose to rely on old fashioned, tried and tested methods of protection.   
A few pillows and blankets later and everyone was sleeping.  
…  
Back at Armitage, Ann Rutledge was nervous and irritated, she wanted answers about why and how Damien was able to resist his father. She had been a witness to the promise he had made, to give himself over completely to his father if Simone was saved. She replayed the moment over and over in her head, looking for a clue about why they had reached the precipice of his ascension and yet nothing moved forward from that point. Everything had been set in motion and had played out beautifully, right down to Simone’s death and Damien being pushed to make a deal…and yet…somehow, he retained control and his father’s power was still denied to them. ‘How could this be?’ She thought as she paced…’how did he do it?’  
As she looked out at the city form her lofty position within the company she could see the people going about their business and it riled her to know her plan had failed, she knew all too well the consequences of failing…her own daughter was taken in the most cruel way by a force they referred to as a ‘higher power’ and she knew that at any moment everything she had worked towards could be snatched away and her life would be over.  
Her standing orders became “find Damien Thorn…at all costs” and her people scoured the countryside looking for him and covered all routes in and out of all local towns and cities within 500 miles. So far they could find no trace of him and Ann knew something was amiss because how could he get anywhere alone and the more pressing question was how did he kill her people and escape capture? She kept telling herself that no matter what had happened or gone wrong it would be easily rectifiable and she would have the plan back on track in no time…if they could just find him.  
As she considered his words on that day…the day the world should have bowed before him and the day her ‘army of darkness’ would have had power over them, she pictured in her mind his position, her position…all the events and actions taken… by whom and to what end…then it struck her…”No!” she gasped in a half whisper…he stood there that night covered in Simone’s blood and brain matter…desperate and alone…but when he called out he looked to the heavens and called “Father,… into thy hands … I commend my spirit”. ‘What if…’ she thought…’no it couldn’t be…to think it was blasphemy’ but think it she did… ‘Could he have been calling out to a different father altogether?’  
When Ann pictured Damien in the cemetery that night she saw him covered in blood and she saw him calling out but something was wrong she felt…like some pieces were missing and no one seemed to know what those pieces were. Many dismissed her intuition as a means to divert attention away from her failure but she continued to obsess over the so called missing pieces of this puzzle and her behaviour was being called in to question by others in the inner circle of Armitage.  
…  
When Sister Fraueva awoke at the loft she realised she was the first to rise and moved quietly to the kitchen to make some coffee. While the coffee was slowly forming in the pot she looked across at Damien and Amani and felt a deep sense and desire to protect them, which was extremely strange as just a few days earlier she had thought little of Damien’s survival and had only been interested in stopping the rise of Lucifer. There had been a shift somewhere in the universe…she knew her mission remained the same and yet her feelings had changed. At this point she couldn’t quite fathom what was different but she was content to know that this was where she belonged and she would do her duty diligently.  
Simone was the next to rise and entered the kitchen with a loud enough “good morning” addressing sister Fraueva, to rouse the others from their slumber. Amani was on his feet quickly as though to remain horizontal would appear rude or disrespectful, whereas Damien just pulled his blanket up and over his head grumbling something about coffee. “Damien…come on, get up man…where’s your water heater at? I need a shower”…and in a whisper Amani said…”How’s all this gonna work, with all of us here…is there even a lock on your bathroom door?”  
Damien crawled out from under the cover and placed himself in an upright position with his eyes still closed and blanket pulled close and bunched up, half across his lap and half over his body. “Errrrm….switch for the water is in the utility cupboard and yes…there’s a lock…so your dignity will remain intact”. Simone and Freueva both looked over at where the guys were, saying nothing but clearly waiting for an explanation of the comments just made as they had not heard the private inquiry made minutes earlier by Amani. Amani looked a little bit awkward and uncomfortably made his way to the utility area to turn the hot water on.   
“Is there coffee? I really need something…to…erm”  
“Damien are you ok?” asked Simone as she made her way to him. He sat on the couch swaying very slightly from side to side as though he might tumble off at any moment. Simone steadied him and repeated her question as she sat beside him. “I feel as though I was on a bender all night and then got run down by a tank”, Simone placed her hand on his forehead and exclaimed that he did feel quite warm whilst nervously looking to Fraueva for reassurance or help. As Fraueva’s facial expression altered to display deep thought she finally said “It’s probably the internal struggle…the fight between good and evil that goes on even now as we speak”. “What?” Simone was confused …”there is no evil…Damien is good…he’s been nothing but good, what are you talking about?”  
Amani re-entered the main room to see the concern on Simone’s face and the sick look on Damien’s. “What’s happened? What’s wrong?”  
“There’s something wrong with Damien…he’s sick or something”  
“Damien? … Sister?”  
Sister Fraueva moved closer to Damien and Simone and explained her thoughts…she didn’t know for sure but surmised that as Damien had chosen good over the darkness that pursued him…after the demon side of him had been shown the way out…there was now a battle for control and these outward symptoms were just a side effect of the struggle.  
“If you’re right…what does it mean? Could he lose the battle?” she said frantically.  
As she kissed the cross she wore around her neck Fraueva spoke a prayer out loud and in Latin to ask for God’s help in the matter.  
“What are you doing?” said Simone indignantly…  
Fraueva finished the prayer quickly and spoke to Damien about how sorry she was for this and for what she had done and that her mistake over this matter is what has placed him in danger now…he interrupted her and said “That’s all in the past now…we have to move forward and take control of things”. “Yes” she said “you do…you must gain control over this. The covenant we have formed and the power we have unleashed is truly great and because of who you are this light that fills you is in direct conflict with the darkness. You will feel better if you take control”.  
“How do I …do that?” he barely managed to get the words out before he fell sideways on to Simone’s lap and in to unconsciousness.   
Amani and Simone made him as comfortable as they could and then all they could do was wait. As the hours passed and Damien remained still the fear within all of them grew. They didn’t know what to do or where to find the answers. Finally one of them realised how much time had passed and that one of their party was still missing…”Shouldn’t Melissa be up by now…it’s almost noon” said Simone, “Amani could you go check on her and see if she needs anything”, he nodded and went swiftly to Damien’s room where Melissa slept.  
Once in Damien’s room he moved round to the side of the bed so that he could see Melissa’s face, he moved in close, speaking softly not to alarm her, and called her name. She did not stir…nor did she move in any way or manner…she remained perfectly still. Amani stood there motionless for some minutes before he could even think to alert the others. Tears formed in his eyes and his heart ached…he couldn’t believe all this was happening and that they were totally alone in it…why was this happening after all that they had been through. The light had brought peace and belonging…it made him feel powerful and alive and now he just felt vulnerable and weak…and useless.  
He finally called out “There’s something wrong in here too…Melissa is unconscious, she wasn’t sleeping…she was in here fighting her own battle and we didn’t even notice”.  
Simone placed Damien’s hand that she had been tightly gripping for the past hour, gently on his chest before she raced to the bedroom to see Melissa. She stopped in the doorway and looked at Amani’s face…she didn’t need to ask anything else, his face said it all. He was devastated and desperate…”What the hell’s going on Amani?” he could only shrug his shoulders and shake his head as he turned to sit on the bed and take Melissa’s hand in an attempt to communicate to her that she was not alone. She turned from the room and despondently walked back to Damien…Sister Fraueva touched her arm as she passed by stopping her momentarily…”Have faith child…each thing happens for a reason and at the right time, if they are both in a battle let us hope they fight together. We can only wait…our battles will come soon enough”.  
Damien’s breathing became heavier and beads of sweat formed on his brow…he squirmed and struggled beneath the cover placed on him, his head moving from side to side as he fought to return to them. His outward struggle however was of no consequence to Damien on a spiritual level as within his mind…in some distant place that he had travelled, the air was calm and peaceful. It was a place filled with nothingness…only him…and a presence that felt heavy and dark. He could see no one…he could touch nothing…all he could do was feel the presence creeping closer and closer.  
He called out as he walked through this nothingness…to Amani, Simone…and Melissa but no one answered and his head began to hurt. An awful pain filled his head…it was like nothing he had ever experienced before and it brought him to his knees. His hands grasped his head at each side and he leaned forward with his head almost on the ground…he writhed in agony as some invisible force clawed at him from the inside…demanding its freedom. Then as suddenly as it had started it stopped…Damien got to his feet and other than his breathing being a little more rapid than usual and the perturbed look upon his face all was well with him, or so it seemed.  
Damien tried to remain calm and think his situation through rationally. If he listened really hard he could hear voices…distant voices…muffled and faint but definitely voices, yet no one answered when he called out, so he could hear them but they couldn’t hear him…not helpful he thought…he walked slowly trying to gauge the direction of the voices, thinking he could follow the sound until he found someone, but having been walking for hours and hours it seemed, maybe even days, he really wasn’t sure anymore, he had found nothing. All seemed lost and he began to despair. Agitated and fearful he shouted out to the nothing…”What do you want of me?! Who are you?! …What are you?” he thought perhaps he was back in the mental hospital…or …more worryingly…maybe he had never left. As he yelled and screamed for someone to hear him he turned on his heels and right before him…so close he almost fell over her…stood Melissa.  
He was so pleased to see her he grabbed her and hugged her tightly…”Melissa!” “Thank God”…  
“Yes I suppose it is thanks to him that I’m here…it took forever for me to find you…good call with the screaming and shouting…that made it considerably easier”.  
“Where are the others? Are they here? With you?” he looked past her to see if there were any more of his friends…but it was just the nothingness.  
“They’re in the apartment Damien…we’re all there”.  
“Wh….What?” The confusion on his face and the utter lack of strength that remained within him was apparent from his expression prompted Melissa to take his hand and softly say “Listen to my mind Damien, listen to my heart and my inner voice and you will find strength and peace there. I will guide you back from this nothing …back to those who love you and who are waiting for you”. She stared up at him, her beautiful sapphire blue eyes, bright and piercing…helping him focus and understand what was happening.  
He smiled at her and pulled her in close for another hug…”I understand…I think. How did you get here?”  
“not sure…it’s all part of the package I think…I went to sleep and then I was here waiting for you…somehow I knew you would be lost and I came to bring you home”.  
Damien thought about what she had said and decided given everything that had happened recently he could accept this …why not he thought…at least someone came to get me.  
As Melissa prepared to turn and take Damien back in to the real world a deep grumbling roar started to shake the foundations of where they stood.  
“Don’t be afraid Damien…you don’t belong here…come on, let’s go”. As they tried to step forward an invisible force pushed against them, and a sudden wind created out of nothing, coming from everywhere was howling round their ears making each step an effort. From behind them rose an incredible energy…its power seemed fierce and from a swirling mass of smoke and fire a face formed. Melissa held on to Damien and whilst pushing him forward turned her head to face the beast. Its eyes were bright orange as though forged from the fire itself, its face was indeed fierce and its teeth were sharp and menacing. Despite all of this Melissa smirked at the beast as though she was taunting it to do better and it was powerless to move on them. It took all but that one brief moment to free Damien from its grasp and push him back towards the light.  
As they passed back from that world to this the beast roared furiously…so loud the others almost heard it as Damien gasped awake.  
From the other room Amani heard Damien’s voice and whilst momentarily distracted by it he stayed with Melissa and when his gaze returned to her face he saw her lying there smiling up at him. His mouth opened in amazement and a glint returned to his eye that showed happiness on his face. He smiled back at her and said “Was that you?” signalling with his head towards the other room where Damien lay… “It was all of us” she replied and promptly sat up and threw her arms around Amani’s neck. “Thanks for watching over me” she whispered in his ear, then she kissed his cheek and walked to the kitchen for a drink stating she was soooo thirsty…it made Amani laugh while he wiped his cheek and he knew right then that this girl was truly something special.  
As he made his way to Damien he could hear Simone asking a million questions about what had happened to him and when she saw Melissa up and about too drinking orange juice she could hardly contain herself…but finally she sat down, exhausted from the mornings events and simply asked “what’s happening?”.  
Sister Fraueva spoke up and said “This battle you have won but you will be tested again…the beast wants to be free and he will keep trying…the more control you keep over your thoughts and of your emotions, the easier it will be to keep him out…that is what we are here for I think…to keep you strong and to keep you tethered”.  
Damien looked at Melissa having her juice and apparently lost in thought and said “she was my tether today…she didn’t let go of me, even when everything in her should have screamed ‘let him go’…she didn’t. I’m still not sure what’s going on here but I’m glad I have all of you here with me. Thank you”.  
Damien rested whilst the others prepared food and showered on a rota system…it all seemed to be working out quite nicely. By the evening everyone was feeling better and ready to start planning for whatever they might face. First thing on the agenda was to determine what had happened in the outside world but this had pretty much been answered by switching on the news. The world,it appeared, had returned to normal and news reports talked about a strange bout of unexplained suicides and confusion within the population in what seemed to be a local area event only. “I guess it didn’t stick …the rising of the beast, the army of darkness ruling at your side and all that” blurted Simone, “Once we took control, no…once you brought us together in unity…their plan fell apart” she smiled at the thought of it, almost breaking out in to laughter.   
“That means it’s over right?” she looked at the others, at sister Fraueva for affirmation…”right?”  
“No my dear…it is not, Ann Rutledge will never give up, Armitage will never give up…they’ll be looking for Damien and they will try everything to turn him towards the darkness. His whole life they have tried to guide and manipulate him in to following a path that would lead to darkness and it was only because he found you…each of you…that he is not consumed. First Amani, the faithful and trusted friend that they could do nothing to remove, and trust me they would have tried, then Simone, a faithful servant of God who refused to abandon him even when she thought her sister’s death was somehow his fault and finally little Melissa, whose innocence and love will defend you no matter what comes I think”.  
“And finally…you sister…you’re the fourth of four after all, where do you fit?”  
“God saw fit to give me a second chance so that I might redeem myself and in so doing save the world”.  
“Oh…nothing small then…just save the world…” said Amani sarcastically.  
“We have seen evil, we have heard evil speak…it has whispered in all our ears and we have stayed true to one another. We’ve seen miracles and we have become …something of God’s making and it’s wonderful….and truly terrifying at the same time”. Said Melissa with confidence sprinkled with a little humour to lighten the mood.   
“So … not over then, I was really hoping it was over”  
Simone flopped on to the settee pulling Damien’s blanket over her. He leaned over and placed his arm around her and tried to offer some comfort by saying that no matter what she would be ok, that they all would. Once they knew what was happening and what Ann was planning they could make some plans of their own and…well he didn’t really have anything past that but it seemed to be enough and each in their own way took comfort from his words and Simone placed her head on his shoulder. He looked across the room at Melissa and threw her a wink and a smile. The two of them seemed to have formed a more familial bond than any of the others and she reciprocated with a smile.  
“I should call my parents” said Simone, and we need to find Melissa’s family too”.  
Fraueva looked away and moved further from the others and this did not go unnoticed by Amani. He watched her for a moment and then became distracted by Simone’s reaction to a telephone call she was making to her father. It was obvious from her tone, language and expression that something was very wrong. ‘What could have gone wrong making a call?’ he thought.  
“Dad! It’s me…it’s Simone…what? … What do you mean you only had one daughter? No…dad? Let me talk to mom…put mom on…hello? Hello?”  
She looked at the phone in disbelief and then at Damien…who stood before her with his mouth open and eyes wide, shoulders showing the beginnings of a shrug and arms partially raised in an expectant manner…ready and waiting to receive whatever news Simone was about to deliver. Whatever thoughts had moved through each of their minds, whatever scenario they had played out in those few seconds from realising something was wrong to actually hearing it…nothing could have prepared them for what had actually happened.  
Damien gave her all of five seconds to explain and when nothing was forthcoming he prompted a response from her by saying in a slightly raised tone “Simone! What is it?” she looked at him still searching her own mind for a rational explanation and a few seconds later said “He didn’t know who I was Damien…he was upset because I said ‘it’s me dad’ he explained that he had just lost his only daughter Kelly and that I had made a mistake with the number…and then he hung up”. Her hand began to tremble and the look in her eyes became distant as tears formed across them filling the eye line like the still waters of a lake, she felt as though she had just heard that her whole family had died. “They’re lost to me…”  
As Damien and Amani questioned what could possibly cause a man to deny his own daughter they passed around strange and almost mythical ideas about what had happened, from Ann brainwashing them to a side effect of the events from the past few days…as they were about to offer yet another somewhat ridiculous suggestion sister Fraueva spoke up “I may know what has happened”. Everyone in the room looked at her and waited… “May know?” said Damien. “Since recent events have put a stop to the plans of Armitage and Ann Rutledge I thought it wise to look in to things…so to speak. What happened to us was like nothing I have ever read about…and I have read a lot of books and scripture, translated from many texts and dialects from all over the world…and it stopped Damien from fully transitioning from good and light to the evil that has stalked him his whole life…that has planned and strategized his whole life to manoeuvre him towards the darkness…and we stopped that, and yet I had read nothing like it. The Vatican had never mentioned a ritual like it or anything remotely similar…I thought to myself…either they didn’t know about it, didn’t believe it or didn’t want anyone to know about it…regardless of the reason, I thought I should look specifically for something that might relate to it…and I found something. Before I left the Vatican I borrowed a very old book that contained some obscure references to the end of days and the rising of the beast. Some parts of the book are still indecipherable but one part…one part I could read”. She showed them the passage…it was written in Hebrew   
ברוך עם העלייה וארבע החיות  
רמוס הנתיב יהא עוד  
מכאן שהוא עכשיו, והוא ימלך על פני חמש  
בליגה  
כל יבקשו להרוס את החושך "  
She then handed them a piece of paper with a Latin translation on it…  
Benedictus cum oriuntur et quatuor bestiae   
Semita calcavit pes tuus erit amplius   
Ex hoc nunc et regnabit quinque   
Quaeram conterere quamque tenebrae  
Amani and Damien looked at the paper and then at each other…”Do you read Latin?” Amani asked…”Not for a very long time” answered Damien…”erm, blessed are those that come together…erm…he paused and looked at Amani, “How’s your Hebrew?”…”Uh…rusty” he replied smiling. They looked at the sister for confirmation or clarification, at which point she said,  
“Blessed be the four that rise and join the beast  
The path walked shall be no more  
A covenant made from five will reign hence forth   
Which the darkness will seek to destroy” …  
“That’s it? What does it mean?”  
“The path walked shall be no more…is the relevant line here I think” said Amani  
“I agree” said Fraueva…”hearing what Simone has said leads me to believe that the lives we had no longer exist for us because the path we now walk must be walked…without hindrance”.  
“It makes sense I guess” continued Amani, “Imagine if Simone’s parents found out what happened to her or what she’s mixed up in…they’d either believe her and be in huge danger themselves or more likely think that grief has sent her mad and have her locked away…and Melissa…she’s a child, a minor…if her parents found her here we’d be locked up or at the very least they’d take her away. How could any of that work if we are to fight the beast and all of his followers together? It couldn’t”.  
“Sister…call the Vatican or someone you know and see if they know you…” insisted Simone, “No…” said Damien quietly…”I doubt that would work, they already know all about the beast and who I am, they’re already trying to kill me so it wouldn’t work like that…the lives we had before may be over but I think they will still remember her. Melissa’s family will be the test…we need to find them”.  
Melissa marched across the room to Damien and placed a piece of paper in his hand. “this is my mom’s number…I only have her…I was too afraid to call it before in case she didn’t answer at all you know…but…now it looks like we need to know if she is out there looking for me …and…well” lowering her head she continued…”that’s her number”.  
Simone took Melissa’s hand as Damien read the number from the piece of paper and entered it into his phone…”What’s her name?” he asked, “Caitlin…it’s Caitlin” replied Melissa with a slight quiver in her voice. The number rang…Damien glanced at Melissa…feeling her anxiety and hoping what Fraueva had said isn’t true…”Hello” came a voice on the phone, it sounded upbeat and cheerful…Damien wasn’t sure of how to continue or what to say so he went with the basics and answered “hello…my name is Damien Thorn and I’m with your daughter Melissa”. He waited for a response…the line was silent. “Hello, Caitlin…are you still there?” he continued. “How do you know my name?” came the response…”Who did you say you were?” as he paused momentarily to prepare his answer he heard “Look…whoever you are…I don’t have any children…I think you’ve made a mistake”.   
“No…wait…I haven’t made a mistake, your daughter Melissa is here with me right now” he realised as he said ‘now’ the call had disconnected and she was gone.  
He looked at Melissa with a telling look upon his face and she knew immediately that her mother did not remember her…she had lost everyone in her life and this realisation was hard for her to simply walk away from and maintain her flippant, strong and confident demeanour. She took a deep breath as quietly as she could and walked to the bedroom almost holding her breath so as not to reveal her heartache accidentally.   
Damien took a step towards her, thinking about following and then pausing…not sure what would be best. He looked at Amani and Simone in quick succession but both had an equally devastating look on their faces…feeling her pain and experiencing her anguish as if it was their own. He paced back and forth a few times and then yelled at nothing …”aaaaarggghhh, how can this be good? This is awful…this is cruel…”  
They all remained silent and just waited for Melissa to reappear.   
…  
In the meantime the four Vatican priests commissioned with dispatching the antichrist with the daggers of Megiddo positioned themselves covertly outside of Damien’s apartment. They knew where he was but not why he had returned…they didn’t concern themselves with such matters, all they thought about was getting Damien Thorn, confirming his identity as the son of Lucifer and killing him. Each of them carried one dagger and fully intended to use it no matter what…if the truth be told they really didn’t care for confirmation of identity, they had already made their minds up and were just going to wait for an opportune moment to strike. The church didn’t like its business to be in the public domain so stealth was of the utmost importance here.  
…  
Damien was frustrated and worried about Melissa…he found pacing did not help and coffee was running low. He thought to himself he could start on the whiskey but feared once he started down that road he might never find his way back… or want to. So instead he opted to un-barricade the door and venture out in to the world…for coffee.  
“Moving that stuff is a mistake…we should just stay here” said Amani alarmingly  
“For how long? Until when huh? You saw the news…everything’s pretty much back to normal out there, besides we can’t stay in here forever”.  
“We’ve been in here for a day…one day…personally I don’t think that’s enough time”. Replied Amani   
Damien smiled at him, just one side of his mouth curled up so he looked like a mischievous boy but he carried on removing things from in front of the door. “Besides…we’re almost out of coffee, I’m just gonna grab some coffee and some air and then I’ll be back”.  
“I’m coming with you” said Amani  
“Nope…don’t need you too”.  
Amani turned to find his coat whilst trying to say “I’m coming anyway” but he only got as far as ‘I’m coming’ before he heard the clang of the apartment door shutting. He grabbed his jacket and moved quickly towards the door only to find that it wouldn’t open.  
“Is it stuck?” asked Simone  
Amani pulled at the door as hard as he could…from every angle…he even tried to shake it free but it was not budging. He yelled Damien’s name as Simone ran to a window to see if she could spot him leaving the complex. As she scanned the immediate vicinity for any sign of Damien she caught sight of a figure in the shadows across the street…and another stepping out of the shadows further along…then she saw Damien, adjusting his coat and flicking the collar up to protect himself from the sharpness of the cold air. She banged on the window and called his name…banging faster and faster calling louder and louder but he was either too far away or the whirring of the wind was too loud or something else prevented him from hearing her alarmed cries of warning. Completely oblivious to the danger a mere few feet ahead Damien continued on his journey, crossing the street, drawing ever closer to the Megiddo daggers clutched in the hands of the church’s assassins. Only one thing caught Damien’s ear as he crossed the street that evening, bringing his pace from a steady march to a slow walk and that was the sound of a dog panting. He looked all around but could see nothing…it was bleak on the streets and dusk was upon him. After standing still for about a minute…looking and listening, Damien was finally satisfied that he had not heard a dog panting and had almost convinced himself that it was the wind when he restarted his journey…until that is…a stranger stepped out from the shadows, with a dagger in his hand that Damien recognised for a previous attack on his life. He stopped in his tracks and moved to the side, only to see another man step out in to view…before he knew it there was a man on each side…he had nowhere to go. As the men took a step forward, almost in unison…towards Damien…very distinct growling could be heard that grew louder and louder, even the priests searched with their eyes to find the origin. One by one, four large black ferocious dogs stepped from the shadows and walked directly toward each of the priests, their heads slightly lowered, lips curled up, teeth showing, salivating and snarling as they approached. To anyone else that might see them they appeared as Rottweiler’s, a strong, well-built working or family dog but to others, those that had called for their presence by their deeds, saw a mighty beast stood before them, fearsome beyond imagining. Damien looked back towards the loft and could see Simone at the window…pressed against it …silently calling. Was this the last time he might see her? …


	5. Strengthening the Alliance

Strengthening the Alliance 

In that moment when he looked back up at the window he regretted leaving the others unprotected…that and his addiction to coffee, which right now seemed as though it was going to cost far more than he had originally thought.   
Simone could see his face clearly, despite the fact he was a considerable distance from the window, this was a thought that lingered in her mind as she looked at him, down on the street, alone…and in imminent danger. As soon as she realised that he had turned and looked up at the window she stopped shouting and focused on him…that’s when the sharpness of her vision hit her and she felt a strange sense of relief. She thought ‘Damien did not look scared or anxious or anything…maybe surprised… but the whole thing, how they were discovered here so quickly, why they couldn’t exit the apartment but he could and the dogs, where did the dogs come from?’ It was all very perplexing and even though a calmness was filling her, Simone was still desperate to get to him.  
The priests very slowly backed away whilst at the same time moving sideways in an effort to circle Damien and move out of the direct path of the advancing hell hounds. Damien tried to position himself so that he could move away from the whole event that looked as though it was going to get bloody very quickly but he couldn’t find a suitable exit point and was unsure of his next move. “Look” he said, turning every few seconds in an attempt to address each priest, “I haven’t done anything…why are you trying to kill me?”   
“You are the son of Lucifer and are prophesised to do great harm…therefore you must die.”  
“What?! No no no no no…” he replied, with his arm outstretched and his index finger up, tapping the air to make his point and hold them back, “we are all children of God…aren’t we? And” …he exclaimed, “thou shalt not kill…you can’t pick and choose which parts you’ll follow…how is that righteous or good? No one needs to get hurt here, you could walk away…everything has returned to normal…look around you, I stopped the ascension and Armitage has no more power today than they had yesterday, so why? Why are you still doing this?”  
“Evil cannot be allowed to rise, you are the conduit for this evil, you WILL die…there will be no more discussion, you cannot escape your fate.”  
It would seem as though Damien’s pleas to end things peacefully had fallen on deaf ears.   
“Look around you…it’s you that will fall today…not I” explained Damien. Just as he finished speaking the dog to his left leapt at the priest on that side, knocked him to the ground, held him there with a mighty paw upon his chest. His claws slowly sunk into the priests flesh as he grasped at the foot desperately trying to lift it or move it away. The crushing weight of the animal was stealing his breath and as he gasped for more oxygen to fill his lungs he realised that competition for this space was underway and blood slowly trickled in to his chest cavity as his ribs slowly succumbed to the pressure being inflicted upon them. As a faint spluttering could be heard by the others, they watched in horror as the dog slowly leaned forward and sunk its teeth in to the man’s throat…squeezing and twisting as they did so. Moments later his body lie motionless and all sounds had ceased. The ease of this kill was indeed unsettling for the priests and even knowing all they did about Damien and the prophecy, they were ill equipped to deal with this situation and so they retreated hastily, out of harm’s way for now but fully intending to return.  
The hound that had claimed victory over this fight turned towards Damien and slowly approached… the blood from its kill still dripping from its teeth and stained around the fur of its mouth. Although perturbed, he held his ground and tried to control his breathing to portray an air of confidence, he also stole a glance at the other beasts as they started to move just to maintain an awareness of their position and presence. One by one the others stepped in to the shadows and disappeared but the one that approached upheld its course and was almost upon him. Damien remained still, his posture almost rigid…just his eyes moved to discern the beast. As it reached him it moved slightly to one side and outstretched its neck very marginally and pushed itself against his body, nuzzling in and rubbing itself up against him with a familiarity that made him feel very uncomfortable. Damien could sense that this greeting was not meant for him, but for the darkness inside and that more than anything else filled him with fear.  
This realisation momentarily overwhelmed Damien and he closed his eyes to re-focus his thoughts. When he reopened them, the dog was gone and from the corner of his eye he saw a movement from where the priest’s body lie. He turned his head sharply to see what was happening just in time to see the priest’s legs disappear in to an invisible hole…something had dragged the body away…to where he could only guess but he was pretty sure he knew where…all that remained was blood on the floor and a dagger. Damien swiftly recovered the blade and returned to the loft.  
The entire encounter had only lasted minutes and Amani was still trying to open the apartment door, growing more frantic with every tug.  
Melissa finally could take no more and walked over to him, reaching out her arm and placing a hand on to his that grasped the door so tightly…”Amani” she said softly, “remain calm and focus your thoughts…nothing holds the door closed except your perception of it being held closed. Let that perception go…nothing on earth can keep the door closed and you from your friend.” Then together they gently pulled on the door and it opened. Amani looked at Melissa startled…”How?” he said completely baffled and surer now than ever that Melissa may be part Angel or witch.   
As the door fell open Damien stood on the other side of it…”Oh” said Amani, startled, “back already, where’s the coffee?”   
Damien looked at Amani, surprised that this was the question he chose to lead with, after what had just happened outside. He suddenly realised that only Simone had seen what had transpired below. From the look on his face and his body language it was clear to everyone however, that something monumental had occurred.   
“What!? What is it, did something happen?” Amani spouted  
Simone made her way over to Damien and took his hand; she looked him in the eye and said “are you alright?”  
Damien didn’t really know how to answer…’was he alright?’ He thought to himself…”I think it’s aware, the darkness inside of me, I think it knows”…he paused, “it…um…knows me, I mean…aargh I can’t explain it but I feel it in there…and I don’t like it”.  
Realising that Simone knows something no one else does Amani says in a louder than usual voice “What the hell happened?!”  
“Did you see Simone? Did you see everything?” asked Damien  
Simone silently nodded and the others grew fearful once again.  
“Show us Damien” said Melissa, approaching with her hands outstretched. As she passed Amani she took one of his hands and led him closer to the others, with her other hand she took the Sister’s hand and motioned for them to each take a hand of Damien and Simone. Once they were all connected through touch Melissa closed her eyes…with all eyes upon her and seeing this, the others automatically followed suit. Once the last eyes were shut a mental connection was made that jolted the group momentarily from their peaceful equilibrium to an abstract chaos. Melissa’s voice guided them back to a state of calm and she instructed Damien to think about the events that had transpired, the ones he and Simone were just speaking of and that the rest of them had no knowledge…at first the thoughts were disordered and frightening, out of context and intangible. “Focus Damien…picture yourself leaving the apartment and then just carry that thought…”  
In the next moment a story unfolded before their eyes…but inside their minds, as though they were actually there watching it play out. “Whoa” exclaimed Amani…the whole thing was transmitted to everyone within the circle almost instantaneously. “How did you do that? How are you doing a lot of things Melissa?” Amani demanded answers… Melissa smiled innocently at him and proclaimed “I don’t know…I just think about something and an answer pops in to my head”.   
“Something?...What?”   
“Well it is usually Damien” she said whilst simultaneously thinking…”yes, it’s when I’m thinking about him”.  
“Oh…Ok, I’ll be sure and give that a go”. He smiled back at her, he loved her energy and her straight forwardness…there was nothing hidden about her.  
Melissa wandered off to some mysterious part of the apartment as though she had some important business to attend to …a place she often went to for some solitude…or so the others assumed. The rest of them stood there, where they had formed the circle, like statues…eventually Fraueva spoke “The priests will be back, they may have been caught unprepared this time, but they will not make that mistake again.” She looked directly at Damien, “Did you call the dogs?”  
“What? NO…How do you even call hell hounds? They just come…they’ve always been around, I just never knew before …or didn’t realise why. I thought they were family pets when I was younger and then when I couldn’t remember my childhood it didn’t register with me when I saw them again that I was always catching glimpses of them. I think this time they saved me…”  
“Not you…’IT’…and they always have…any perceived threat and they would appear to take care of it or assist in the complete annihilation of whatever or whoever it was. That’s why death follows you…it’s them.”   
As the rest of them separated, each pondering what had happened and what it meant, Simone took Damien’s arm and quietly asked “How does Melissa always know what to do…how does she do it?..”. Damien made the slightest movement of his head from side to side in an almost shaking motion…”Damien, when you were outside the door wouldn’t open…Amani and the rest of us couldn’t get out to help you…but Melissa just walked over and told Amani his perception was all wrong or something and she just opened it”…her voice at this point was at a quiet screech, her eyes were wide and she was expressing herself to indicate she was expecting an explanation.   
“She is unique isn’t she? Special”…he said thoughtfully…realising his mind had wandered for a second he quickly said “I’m not sure…sister Fraueva, do you have any insights?”  
She pursed her lips and squinted her eyes slightly…drawing on her knowledge to offer a feasible explanation… “She is the youngest of us and the least corrupted…her innocence is still intact and she has formed a bond of familial love with Damien.” After a short pause and after everyone had time to process this and make a determination as to its validity…she continued, “This could be what gives her these insights”  
“No I don’t think so” said Amani…”I love Damien…I would die for him but I don’t know the stuff she seems to know”.   
“I have another theory…” she said  
”Oh goody” said Amani, “a theory, that should help sort things out”. The others threw him a look that said ‘not helpful’ and he awkwardly found a seat and hoped it went unnoticed.   
“Amani…” his eyes moved towards Fraueva followed by the rest of his head, and as he opened his mouth to apologise for the crack he had made about her theory, fearing this is why he had been singled out; she asked him where Melissa was.  
He looked around and said “She’s probably in Damien’s room...I’m not sure…why?”  
“Close your eyes and think about her…”  
He glanced at the other two who shrugged and then back to Fraueva…”Shut my eyes…and think about Melissa…that sounds a little weird I don’t mind saying…why?”  
She responded with one word…”Please.”  
He took a deep breath and closed his eyes…the next moments were moments of awakening and fear for Amani. He could see Melissa, as though she was right in front of him…he opened his eyes again quickly and looked around, checking where he was…he hadn’t moved and Damien and Simone were looking at him quite bemused by his reaction to simply closing his eyes. He said without even realising he was speaking “she’s in the kitchen looking for food…again…that kid is always looking for a snack…” he smiled to himself and the others were even more confused.   
When he realised that he could see where she was he rushed from the living area to the kitchen to confirm what he had seen.   
“Oh my God” he said to the others upon re-entering the room…I saw her, in my mind, I knew where she was and what she was doing…how?”  
“I believe as the four protectors we tether each other and each forms a unique bond with another… but not all… not in the same way anyway. Melissa is Damien’s tether so she can see when he is in danger and how to help him, you are hers.  
“I am?” he said excitedly… “wow… that’s …erm…incredible. It’s a little weird that I’m not Damien’s though don’t you think…I mean, he hasn’t known Melissa long…” Amani looked somewhat disappointed that he wasn’t Damien’s tether, this seemed like an extremely important bond and although amazing things had been happening lately, he had started to feel pushed aside and he wasn’t sure how to deal with that. “Amani, my dear Amani, do not feel jealous of Melissa…you are and always will be a very important part of Damien’s life, nothing could change that and no-one here would try”. Amani looked at Fraueva, wondering how she could possibly have known what he was thinking at that very moment, when a smile from her said it all. “You’re my tether?” he said, the realisation just hitting him…and he smiled back, pleased and yet, at the same time bewildered by his feelings for the sister, she had saved his life but he hadn’t appreciated at the time, the depths this act would take him to emotionally. “Everything changed that day, didn’t it?” he said, as though only speaking to her.  
As Fraueva recollected the events of that day in her mind, remembering the harm she had caused and the near disaster that was almost unleashed on humanity because of her actions the feelings of shame began to creep in as they had done once before. That was until she felt the gentle hand of Simone grasping hers and whispering comfort and redemption. Without even hearing the words the others knew what was being expressed from the expression on her face, watching it change from sadness and disgrace to peace and belonging was very satisfying for everyone. Fraueva turned to Simone and gazed in to her eyes… “you’re mine then?” Simone smiled and nodded and then turned to Damien… “that means you’re mine”. His expression didn’t change but he nodded his head and seemed distracted…deep in thought maybe. Pondering something it seemed but unsure about whether he should speak of it.  
“What is it?”  
“I was just thinking…why wouldn’t the door open? What was trying to get me on my own…separated from all of you…what has that kind of power?”  
“and…” said Amani, “how was it that Melissa could open it?”  
“mmm…yes, that to”  
“Rutledge…it has to be something to do with that woman…she’s been at the heart of everything.”  
“I agree with Amani, said Simone, she is a very scary woman, always showing up where you were and knowing ahead of time what was going to happen”.  
“We don’t know that she had fore knowledge of events” said Damien, but he agreed whole heartedly that she was a threat and that a terrible darkness was within her…he could almost sense it before, only he didn’t recognise it as such at the time. Now however, he knew better and was prepared to fight for his friends and this new family.  
“We need to move…this site is obviously compromised. Get your stuff together, whatever you think we might need, get it now, we won’t be coming back.”  
As he went to raise his voice to repeat the instructions for Melissa who was in another room for this talk, her subtle presence was spotted slipping around the corner of the door and gently placing her bag at her feet. Damien paused, and silence filled the room for a second before he finished his breath and said, “that’s gonna take a bit of getting used to.”  
The others quickly grabbed their belongings and tried to decide where they would head.   
Damien paced back and forth… “I think it was that cabbie…he told them where we were. I knew we shouldn’t have got in that cab.” He looked at the others expectantly… “OK”, said Simone, “maybe we shouldn’t have got in the cab”. He smiled at her, momentarily enjoying the possibility of being right about the cab. “We could head east to Connecticut, I bought a little property out there for my folks…as a kind of holiday home/retirement home, away from the city. It’s a little farmhouse in the country…I was going to surprise them with it for their anniversary. But…” she paused, “as they don’t remember me, maybe no one else will know about it either.”  
They could all feel her deep sense of loss but couldn’t afford to focus on that right now. “How far is it Simone?” asked Amani.  
“It’s about 100 miles from here, if we can get a car it’ll take a couple of hours to get there maybe.”  
“That’s where we’re heading then” said Damien, placing a hand on Simone’s arm. “You will be reunited with them again…I promise.” She placed a hand on top of his and squeezed gently, closing her eyes fleetingly and nodding before moving away and grabbing her things.  
As they prepared to make their escape from New York City, an all too familiar voice was heard outside of the apartment.   
“Damien?” she called out whilst knocking on the door. “I know you’re in here … open the door. You can’t hide from who you are and you would be foolish to try. The darkness within you is growing stronger…I can feel it. I saw it in you when you killed John Lyons and he told me of the wonder he saw when you killed all those soldiers. If you don’t open the door I’ll be forced to enter another way and I can’t guarantee everyone’s safety if it comes to that.”  
Amani motioned for everyone to remain silent and as he looked at the door he could see that it remained unlocked. Ann had only to open the latch and pull the door and it would open. His eyed widened and he looked at the others who were now also aware of this. Then, a different look came over Amani, it was a look that said ‘I don’t need to be afraid, we’re OK’. He looked over at Melissa who was her usual mischievous self, standing there…half smiling half smirking at his realisation. “Perception?” He said… “Perception” she answered. One by one the thought passed between them… ‘the door stays closed no matter what’…and indeed the door stayed closed.  
Frustrated at the silence she was being met with, Ann instructed her men to forcibly open the door and storm the room. They were told to retrieve Damien at any cost…and they tried everything they could whilst trying to not attract too much attention. Nothing worked and Ann was perplexed. She knew that as this had failed a more powerful entity would intervene and she put some distance between her and the apartment while she waited for the inevitable victory and capture of Damien. She felt powerful and in control since the timely demise of John Lyons, which had cemented her position within Armitage and put her a step closer to Damien. Her patience began to wear thin however when nothing was happening and no intervention came…or so she thought. A truly powerful individual approached the scene; Ann could feel the evil emanating from it as it drew closer. She could feel it target her presence and her air of power turned to fear as her men were torn apart in front of her…piece by piece. She attempted to maintain her stature as it moved toward her, closing the ground between them with every second that passed, whilst knowing that if she failed again her life may be forfeit. A woman’s voice spoke calmly and sincerely, “why do you stand here alone…where is he?”   
“I will have him very soon…I thought he was in there, I will find out what’s happened.”  
“Yes…you will. How is it you couldn’t enter? How is it that I am kept out?” the voice demanded  
“I’m not sure…but I will find the answer”  
“Find Damien…and do not fail me again or it will be your blood that stains the ground and flows across my lips. Your end will not come as quick as your daughter’s”  
Ann felt completely defeated, her heart still ached for her daughter but she knew the price for service was everything and that the loss of her daughter was fuel for the beast and so nodded, almost holding her breath and eyes half closed…decisively reminded of her place in the matter.  
She left quickly and upon her return to Armitage she demanded that all their resources be targeted toward uncovering the truth behind what happened at the apartment. Ann knew that Damien was in there, but she could not gain entry by natural or unnatural means and this almost scared her more than Aamon himself. She demanded answers…how could they do that? It wasn’t possible and yet it was…”and once you know how they shielded the apartment…bring me the seer…bring me the avatar of dark magic and find out where they’ve gone!” she yelled… “If they want to play games…let’s play”.  
Whilst the people of Armitage scurried about their business, trying to uncover the mystery of the apartment, Ann met with the seer. She couldn’t wait for answers but instructed the others to continue with their investigations while she made plans of her own. She knew the price for failure and if she didn’t provide something on Damien’s whereabouts soon, her position and prestige within the company would no longer protect her.  
The ‘seer’ is a mystical creature that has the power to connect to a soul and influence conscience and reality. It does not need the whereabouts of an individual to do so, just something of theirs that they value, to provide a starting point. From this point, it can track the energy that each of us emits and once it has a strong enough connection it can influence. The creature is not called forth unless the situation has become dire because it exacts a price few are willing to pay.   
Ann enters into a contract with the seer, knowing that the price she will pay may be far higher if she does not please Aaman. Whatever objects and artefacts have been found along the way, from the grave site, the woods around the church, anywhere they had been known to be, were laid out on a table. They were just inanimate objects that did not identify their owner and may not belong to anyone of the five hunted, but Ann had little else to work with and if nothing else at least appeared as though she was making every effort to find them.  
Before the seer lay a pen, a tattered piece of paper with faded script, a hair clip, a match book, a piece of cloth and a ring. He moved from one object to the next…caressing and stroking the items with his elongated fingers, his shrivelled skin pulled tight across the bone and the flesh browned and toughened. Once each item had been examined the seer took up his place upon an old throne chair, his garments trailing behind him as he crossed the floor to be seated. He then became silent and perfectly still, his eyes open but fixed, and the only noticeable activity was from the eyes…they changed from a deep black to a pearl white and a mist-like energy could be seen swirling within them. Ann was pleased with herself and felt sure it would not be long before one of them was drawn out by the seer, and she instructed the men to be ready and on alert…she had no idea what would happen or who it would be.  
As Damien and the others settled themselves in to the cabin they all seemed a little restless. There were no nearby neighbours, the sun shone, the wind was kind and the air clean…almost a paradise compared to recent happenings. Amani paced more than usual, the nun prayed almost constantly, Melissa played in the field…which made Damien neurotic and Simone…well Simone researched and studied whatever she could from the laptop she had brought with her.  
“How are you getting on the internet out here?” asked Amani, bewildered… “I can hardly get a signal on my phone”.   
“That is because you have a lousy provider with very poor coverage nationally” answered Simone, not even looking up from her research. “I’m using my phone as a tether to the internet… it works pretty well”.   
“You can use your phone to tether the internet? Oh…”  
“Come on, you knew that right? You’re a war photographer…you go all over…sending pictures back and getting the truth out…you knew that a phone could tether…didn’t you?”  
Shaking his head from side to side slowly...he says “sure, I knew…good idea”   
Simone smiled and carried on, eagerly trying to find out more about prophecy and the four of them, what their course of action might be…desperately hoping it had been foretold.  
With this new found safe haven, they have time to explore their connection and their power. Damien can sense a force or a presence somewhere in the ether and it unsettles him but he cannot determine what it is or the level of threat it may pose and so he refocuses his attention to the group and keeping them all safe.  
Each day for one hour they all venture out of the cabin and leave each other…then upon their return they join hands and form a circle and practice sharing their thoughts…their adventures of that hour. Everyone looks forward to what Melissa has to share and are always surprised at what she finds to do in that hour…they are never bored and usually learn something…they always smile and their bond with her is the strongest.  
Accidently, whilst enjoying their connection one day, Simone became still and her mind absent, disconnected from the group for a moment. It startled everyone and their calm and peaceful moment was interrupted by a jumble of everyone’s shock and alarm. Then in an instant, she was back. “What happened?” her eyes wide…as were theirs, and all fixed on her. “Simone?” spoke Damien, “Where d’you go?”. She looked at him, and then at the others…once she had processed what had just happened she smiled a little, almost a tantalising smile and took a deep breath…a sigh really. “I think I went out” … she looked up…they all looked up…and then back at her. “OUT??” she raised her arms in the air and to her side, waving them, outstretched…she laughed…out.  
“How long were you gone?” asked Fraueva, “for us it was only moments, was it the same for you?” … “Yes, it was only moments for me as well, but the moments were so clear and it seemed as though I could have gone anywhere in that moment.”  
“I’d like to try” said Melissa, “How did you do it?” Simone tried to explain how she felt and what she was thinking at the time and Melissa eagerly prepared to go ‘out’.   
Damien touched Melissa’s face just before they reconnected and reminded her not to go so far that she couldn’t find her way back. She loved that he worried about her but reassured him that she would always find her way back …to him, he was her beacon and Amani was her tether, as long as that always remained she could never be lost to him.  
One by one, they tentatively leave the physical realm for short periods, exploring their power and their reach.  
Simone notices that Damien seems more preoccupied than usual with keeping watch, checking perimeters and accounting for everyone’s whereabouts. “What’s going on with you?” she asks in a demanding yet endearing fashion. “For over a week now you’ve been on edge…watching…observing, you seem nervous…and that makes me nervous. Have you seen something? When you’ve travelled…is there something out there that you’ve seen?”  
“No, Simone, nothing like that…just a feeling…a sense of imbalance in the universe, a sense of foreboding…”  
“Foreboding?! What do you mean?” She looks around and out of the window herself, pulling back the drapes just enough to have a clear view of the yard.  
“I’m not sure… I’ve never felt anything like it and yet it does feel sort of familiar…anyway that’s why I’m….”   
“Worried” said Simone, hoping it wasn’t that,  
“Concerned” answered Damien  
‘was that better than worried thought Simone’, “What should we do?”  
“Nothing we can do, until we know more…it’s just a feeling.”  
Damien stepped out of the room to get a coffee and Simone peered cautiously out of the window once more. Melissa’s face suddenly appeared at the window and startled Simone in to a releasing a high screech which brought Damien and Amani running in. “What’s going on? What are you looking for?” asked Melissa inquisitively. Simone composed herself and quietly said “nothing, I’m not looking for anything, everything’s fine…you should probably come in now.” Damien knew what it was but said nothing, he didn’t want to alarm the others unnecessarily.   
Melissa came in from outside and plainly asked “were you looking for the boogeyman?” This caught everyone’s attention and each of them noticed how this struck a chord for the others. For a moment no-one said anything, they just looked at Melissa, who by now had realised that something was seriously wrong, more so than she had realised. “Why do you say that Melissa?” asked Damien, “why would Simone have been looking for the boogeyman?”  
“I saw him on my travels, he didn’t see me but he was looking…and…I can feel him looking even when I’m not travelling.”  
Simone looked at Damien, fear across her face “the friggin’ boogeyman!”   
“If we connect could we all see what your saw when you travelled? Asked Damien, “I would have to travel while we are connected” explained Melissa, “then you could see him, but you would have to be very quiet…I don’t know if he could see us back if we made a noise”.  
They all silently nodded and moved in to position to form the circle and connect. Amani, however seemed lost in thought, distracted and captivated by whatever stray notion had entered his mind in that moment. “Amani, come on…Amani…Amani!” Damien yelled, snapping him from his trance. “Are you ok?”  
For a minute Amani seemed dazed and confused but then instantly was back and in control “yeah…yeah, I’m fine, sorry” he joined the others and they began.  
Once they were connected Melissa’s consciousness immediately left the room and soared in to the cosmos. For the others, it was like riding the most terrifying rollercoaster, Melissa was far more accomplished at travelling than the rest of them, she truly knew no fear with this and within seconds had travelled far beyond this realm. Suddenly the rush of the journey slowed and they became aware of a place and of objects, this seemed familiar to them and they gradually realised they were looking in on their own plain of existence, at people going about their day and of feelings … and of a presence that lingered nearby.   
They could see a shape, a cloaked figure, seated…but larger than life and probing, searching and tethered to something of his own, he exuded an energy that swept back and forth, projecting outward and returning in waves as if collecting data for analysis…Melissa cautioned them to remain quiet and not to venture any closer for fear of discovery. Through their connection she likened the creature to the ‘eye of Sauron’ from Lord of the Rings and for once the group agreed with her and all felt this ‘thing’ commanded as much evil and power as the fictional eye.  
They had started to retreat away from it when something caught Melissa’s eye. No one else could see what she saw and were perplexed as to why she was venturing further away from them. Their connection was strained and they could not maintain the link as they had previously, they called to her, to return, but she was so transfixed on something she could no longer hear them…then the link was severed and they were back in the cabin but Melissa was still travelling…alone.   
As Melissa stood there, motionless, oblivious to the disruption of their connection, the others stumbled around trying to figure out what had happened, who the figure was and how they could reach Melissa. Damien turned to ask Amani to reach out to her and connect when he saw that blood was running from Amani’s nose and he seemed to be confused. He was walking away from them, slowly and stumbling as he went, muttering to people who weren’t there and hitting out at nothing. Damien moved swiftly to his friend and grabbed him as he began to fall. “Amani, what’s wrong?” Amani gazed at Damien, trying to talk, trying to communicate what he could see but he was incoherent and Damien couldn’t make sense of it. Sister Fraueva noticed a rash of sorts appearing on Amani’s arm, like black tendrils extending up from the wrist, from his finger actually, upon which was a dark black circle where once a ring had sat. “Dark magic!” she exclaimed, he is afflicted by dark magic, the likes of which have not been seen for many years.  
Upon realising that dark magic had been used against them and the past horrors that now tormented Amani, Damien laid him gently on the floor. Sister Fraueva could see that his mind had been thrown through the ages to witness the horror of war and the death of his family and friends… his body was frozen in place, unable to move or call out for help…Damien is furious and instructs Fraueva to remain connected with Amani and to try and guide him out, to do whatever she can to help him until Melissa returns and they can all join together. Whilst sister Fraueva is busy with Amani, Damien reaches out to Melissa with his mind, trying desperately to connect with her. “Damien, you can’t reach her like that, you’re not her tether…” “We’re all connected on different levels Simone, I might be able to get through and I have to try, I felt her go this time, far away, further than even she has been before…something lured her away and she might not be able to get back now.”  
Melissa’s travels came to an end as she reached her destination and as she turned in delight to tell the others what she had found, what she could see, she realised she was alone. She looked around, still smiling and excited, expecting to catch sight of them at any moment and becoming fearful when all she was met with was silence and emptiness. She looked back at the thing that had originally caught her eye and although she knew she had to leave and find the others she could not drag herself away. She could sense a shift, a change in the balance of nature, of the universe itself and yet she still could not bear to turn away…she had found her mother.  
She stared at her mother for the longest time, remembering all the times they were together, the memories they made … and lost. She smiled whilst tears fell from her eyes and the love for her mother grew even stronger. Her mother oblivious for the most part of her daughter’s existence seemed to notice a change as well, something different in the air, she suddenly stopped what she was doing and turned her head slightly as if listening for a voice that was too distant to hear. Melissa wanted to shout and call out to her, but IT was near and she knew she had to go. She threw a kiss to her mother and wisped herself away but whereas she would normally be back in an instant, this time she was not. She stopped to get a fix on where she was and dread filled her heart as she realised this place looked all too familiar. It was the emptiness she found Damien in…but she knew it would be OK, because as soon as she didn’t return as expected Amani would come and get her so she didn’t need to worry…so…she asked herself…’why am I so worried?’  
Whilst Damien searches for Melissa, calling out her name and praying for help to find her, a sudden powerful spiritual tremor is felt within all of them, including Melissa, where she is. The seer feels it, all at Armitage feel it, the church and every other being connected to the universe feels a shift in the fabric of what is, whether on a conscious or unconscious level and for a few days things will be a little off in the world as this new ‘imbalance’ is addressed.  
“What was that? Did you feel that Damien? Sister?”  
“Yes…I felt it, a strong deep energy, an ancient power has been awoken I believe”.  
“You got all that from the shaking and the gut wrenching feeling of dread? Oh, yeah, ok, I see why you might think that…any chance it’s a good ancient power?”  
“There are many stories told of beings that appear to address and fight evil when things go beyond that which man can defend alone. If something has come forth now, something else must have been unleashed that is equally powerful and as things for us have taken a sudden downward turn we can only hope that this …whatever it is…fights for us.” Explained Fraueva.   
“Oh great, something else to worry about…Damien, have you found her yet? Can you see her?”  
“I see something…I can feel her but I can’t reach her…”  
“Well what do you see?”  
“I see…a bluish figure…on fire…a man I think, I’m not sure…”  
Damien starts to tremble and shake whilst he holds Melissa’s hands, something has connected to him and he is losing control.  
“Damien, let go of her, let go!” screams Simone  
“No…I can almost see her…it’s moving towards her…NOOOOO! MYO-O, move away from her.”  
“MYO-O? what is that? Is that the man, the blue man” Simone asked frantically.  
She was unsure as to what she could do to help and so just grabbed Damien’s hands and connected with him too. Fraueva could also sense the urgency and reached across making contact with them as well as holding on to Amani. Their interconnectedness, even with Amani’s current condition, strengthened the link and Damien could see Melissa clearly now. He called to her and when he saw the figure moving in her direction he called again, only this time his voice was like a beacon and the very vibrations of it acted like a pathway that Melissa could follow out. She moved towards him like a wraith crossing the plains of existence, grabbing hold and carrying the rest of them out in her wake.  
“Now…what the hell is MYO-O?” gasped Simone  
“I have no idea, but I’m guessing it’s nothing good.” Said Damien  
When Melissa opened her eyes the first thing she did was head over to Amani. She placed her hands on his and asked sister Fraueva what was wrong with him. Sister Fraueva indicated that she didn’t know what was wrong and that Amani had just fallen still and seemed to be paralysed. Melissa looked at her and placed one of her hands on to Fraueva’s hands and said so softly… “When you connect with him, you must open yourself completely, this way you’ll know what he knows and see what he sees.” Fraueva went to speak, in response to what Melissa had just said but was cut off by Melissa’s motioning with her head and the raise of her eyebrows which without another sound informed Fraueva that she was not as open as she thought. Fraueva took a deep breath and tried again to help Amani as the Damien and Simone moved in closer.   
“He sees war…he feels deep deep sadness and loss… he feels responsible…he is tormented.”  
“tormented by what?” asks Damien, who then notices the black mark on his hand and arm, “Where’s his ring? He always wore a ring on that finger, it was his father’s” Damien stepped back and looked defeated for a moment…his eyes searched the room, his head turning this way and that… “what is this? A curse maybe? Black magic?”  
“Dark magic…yes…I have heard of things like this. Demons and lesser beings from hell can invade a man’s mind and trigger memories of things, feelings…that can send a man mad…or worse” explained the sister, “I do not know how to help him…I must look for the answer, help me move him.”  
Damien grabbed Amani, pulling him to his feet and almost throwing him over his shoulder, carried him to the couch where he very gently laid him down and covered him with a throw. He placed a hand on his forehead and held it there while he promised Amani he would find a way to help him… “hold on my friend…I’m coming”.  
“We should ask MYO-O to help us…you know…the blue man.”  
Damien looked at Melissa and said “I’m almost afraid to ask”   
after a considerable pause and a long thoughtful considered time, he spoke “do you know what the MYO-O is Melissa?”  
“Don’t you?” she responded “You said his name, well you said what he is, it’s not really his name…”  
“I don’t know why I said that…I felt as though I knew at the time but as soon as we were back I lost the thought…it faded like a dream.”  
“Oh” she said, “well yes, I know…I’m not sure how either, but I do know…she took a breath and began… MYO-O is the mythical creature that vanquishes evil - These creatures are great vanquishers of evil, immense in stature and power. They see that justice is brought to all evil, and help man avoid temptations brought by the servants of evil. When they manifest they often choose a large muscular form with a scowling face (she chuckled to herself) and blazing eyes (she said more seriously). They carry two-handed swords formed of blinding white light. They can be up to fifteen feet tall, and are capable of tearing trees from the ground or levelling buildings with a single swipe of their powerful fists.”  
“Really…shit!” exclaimed Damien, “couldn’t be a regular sized guy, with mediocre talents could it?”  
Simone’s head whipped round to meet Damien’s eyes with hers, “but she said he vanquishes evil…so he’s a good guy then…he’ll be on our side…won’t he?” she changed her gaze from Damien to Fraueva, desperately looking for confirmation from someone.  
“Damien does not have goodness dwelling within him, Simone, he has darkness and evil”  
“but he’s a good man…so that counts”  
“it does present quite the conundrum, doesn’t it? Maybe it will help us, maybe it will try and kill us…who knows” she looked at Melissa, expectantly…  
“Oh … I don’t know”  
Damien’s fury began to rage when he looked at Amani and thought of how close they came to losing Melissa.   
“Ann…this must be her doing…she couldn’t leave well enough alone.” His heart rate increased and his hands turned to fists as he plotted her demise and just as he turned to leave, his heart hardened and his mind replaying all the evil she had inflicted upon them, he saw Melissa in the doorway. “Melissa…move…I’m going to end this, I’m going to kill Ann Rutledge”  
“How will you do that Damien? Alone? Unprotected? You cannot go alone, this is what she wants, to separate and isolate us…from each other.” Damien continued to move towards her, “stop Damien…you’re influenced by the darkness right now, take back control.”  
“MOVE” he shouted as he marched towards her. Simone was now also chasing after Damien, seeing how he was not acting like himself. Just as she reached for him, a blinding white light filled the corner of the room where Melissa had been standing and then pulsed across the entire room, knocking Damien to the floor and rendering him unconscious.


End file.
